


Spirited Soulmates

by Fawn_Eyed_Girl



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Blood and Violence, Consensual Sex, Eventual Romance, F/M, First Time, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Minor Character Death, Powerful Higurashi Kagome, Protective InuYasha (InuYasha), Semi-Public Sex, Slow Burn, Suspense, fear of intimacy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:34:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 45
Words: 203,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24381382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fawn_Eyed_Girl/pseuds/Fawn_Eyed_Girl
Summary: Higurashi Kagome is quite happy living alone with her cat Buyo. She enjoys running the most popular spiritual school in Tokyo with her friend Miroku, eating takeout, and drinking beer. She has no desire to be involved with anyone--especially because to do so would mean an end to her spiritual power, and thus, her very successful career.But then she meets National Police Agency detective Matsushita Inuyasha, and her whole world is turned upside down, especially when she figures out they are soulmates. Will she tell him before her growing desire for him overpowers them both? And when mikos start going missing across the country and turning up dead, will she be safe? Or will she give in to Inuyasha, tell him the truth, and let him protect her?Winner ofBest ActionandBest Romance Fictionat the 4Q Inuyasha Fandom Awards, hosted byThe Feudal Connection!Featuring Commissioned Artwork bydreaming-of-soup,kalciaandnartista!
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha, Miroku/Sango (InuYasha)
Comments: 879
Kudos: 427
Collections: Divergent Adventures of Inuyasha, Quarter 4 2020 Inuyasha Fandom Award Winners





	1. Happy Alone

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that you are all safe and well.
> 
> Welcome to my new multi-chapter story. I had this idea of a modern Kagome and Miroku running their own spiritual training school, and have finally sketched out enough of the story to share. I'm also playing with the concept of soulmates here; typically it's the youkai who find their mate, but what if it were the spiritual human? What might that look like? 
> 
> I really hope that you enjoy reading, as much as I have enjoyed writing this piece!
> 
> And I want to take a moment to thank [gribedli](https://gribed-li.tumblr.com/), [NeutronStarChild](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeutronStarChild), and [Ruddcatha](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ruddcatha), for their help in shaping this story. Your feedback has made this story what it is, and has made me a better writer. Thank you, so much, for all of your help; I am endlessly grateful to you, and ILYSM 💖

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [ ](https://nartista.tumblr.com/post/644403195127414784/commissioned-cover-art-for-fawn-eyed-girls-newly)
> 
> Commissioned Artwork by [nartista](https://nartista-digital.tumblr.com/)
> 
> * * *

Higurashi Kagome padded down the hallway of her school, listening to the sounds coming from all the classrooms. To her left, she heard her former mentor and current employee, Chie Kaede, leading a class on herbal remedies. And in the large dojo, which was separated from the hallway by a series of large glass panels, she watched her business partner, Murasaki Miroku, leading a class on physical self-defense. She was heading back to her own class, one that focused on spiritual self-defense, but she was giving her students a chance to practice their meditation before leading them through their defense training.

It was hard for her to believe that just three years ago, Kagome had been working at her family’s shrine as a miko. The shrine was popular, and it received great blessings from the community. Together, Kagome and her mother had turned it into one of the premier wedding venues in the greater Tokyo area. But Kagome wanted more. She dabbled in politics, acting as an advisor on various spiritual and youkai matters, and helping out with negotiations for the Human-Youkai Treaty. Ultimately, though, she knew politics weren’t for her; she loved teaching, and she loved getting to lead occasional classes in meditation and spiritualism. So when her old friend Miroku had come to her with the idea of starting their own spiritual school, she’d jumped at the chance, with her mother’s good wishes.

With just a little bit of money between the two of them, Miroku and Kagome opened a small school in Asakusa, just offering classes in meditation and physical and spiritual defense for children ages 8 and up a few days a week. But with the societal push towards encouraging people to develop their spiritual powers, especially once the Human-Youkai Treaty went into effect, parents were rushing to enroll their children in spiritual classes. Shrines weren’t equipped to handle the new influx of students, and many parents turned to Miroku and Kagome’s school, especially once they found out she’d been an advisor on the treaty. Within a year, they went from 30 students to over 300, and from a tiny storefront in Asakusa to a large warehouse that they converted into a school with two dojos, two offices, and several smaller rooms for other classes. Kagome reached out to her former mentor, Kaede, and asked her to help teach classes in herbs and meditation. Between the three of them, they were able to offer classes in medicinal herbs and spiritual healing, scroll translation and creation, physical and spiritual offense and defense, and meditation. Kagome also added morning yoga classes, attracting mostly housewives and college students, but still increasingly popular. Overall, their school was thriving, and Kagome was thrilled.

She opened the shoji screen to the smaller dojo; it was much more traditional than the larger one, the floor laid with tatami mats instead of the soft plastic mats needed for physical offense and defense classes. Kagome preferred the feel of the tatami under her feet; it was what she had grown up with, and what she wanted her students to become accustomed to. She watched them, smiling, as they all sat quietly, their legs crossed, their palms resting on their knees facing upwards, ready to receive energy. It would be a good class.

Kagome sat at the front of the room and crossed her legs as well. “Okay, everyone,” she said softly, “time to bring yourselves back to being. Keep your eyes closed for now. I would like for you first to hold out your arms, roll your wrists, and wiggle your fingers.” She watched as the students stretched out their arms slowly, moving their wrists around, and working their fingers back into feeling.

“Good,” she said. “Now drop your head forward, and roll it to the right, then to the back, around to the left, and back down. Let’s do that again: to the right, the back, the left, and to the front. Now, reverse two times.” She carefully watched her students move their heads. “Excellent,” she said. “Now, let’s blink our eyes open slowly.” She watched as the class opened their eyes, blinking slowly as they returned to full consciousness.

“Wonderful, everyone!” she said, clapping her hands. “Today let’s work on creating a barrier. Who can tell me why creating a barrier might be useful?”

Ten pairs of little eyes looked at her expectantly. One tiny hand raised into the air. It belonged to Akemi, one of Miroku’s twin daughters.

“Akemi-chan?” Kagome asked kindly.

“It can protect us from attacks,” Akemi said quietly.

“That’s exactly right,” Kagome said. “And while we don’t have to worry as much about youkai attacks anymore, it’s still really helpful to protect yourselves in lots of different situations. We can even protect ourselves from other humans, if we get our barriers right.”

“But what do youkai think about us learning this?” piped up Akari, Miroku’s other daughter and Akemi’s twin. “I have youkai friends at school, and I’m afraid of hurting them.”

Kagome smiled. “That’s the big reason we learn this, Akari-chan,” she replied. “It’s so that we learn to control our reiki, so that we don’t accidentally hurt our friends.”

She clapped her hands together again and got everyone’s attention. “Now,” she said, “let me demonstrate how to create a barrier, and then I’ll explain how it’s done.” The students watched her closely as Kagome closed her eyes and retreated into her meditative state. She drew her reiki up and out, and could hear the students gasping as a bubble slowly formed about her body. When she opened her eyes, she was completely enveloped in a bright pink protective bubble. The students burst into applause.

“All right, everyone,” she said. “Let’s start working on drawing out our reiki to make those barriers.”

* * *

[ ](https://fawn-eyed-girl.tumblr.com/post/632357775076376576/ahhh-kalsies-they-look-so-good-i-love-that)

Commissioned Artwork by [Kalcia](https://kalcia.tumblr.com/)

* * *

Kagome stood at the doorway to the school, waving goodbye to her students as they left to go home by themselves or got picked up by their parents. Akari and Akemi stayed close by her side; Miroku was teaching a second class, and wouldn’t be able to take his daughters home. Kagome was waiting for Sango, Miroku’s wife, the girls’ mother, and her best friend, to retrieve them.

“Why isn’t Mama here yet, Kagome-oba-chan?” asked Akemi. Now that they were out of class, the girls were free to call her by their pet name for her.

“I’m not sure, Akemi-chan,” replied Kagome. “She didn’t tell me that she would be running late.”

The girls pressed against Kagome, looking down the street in the direction their mother usually came from. Kagome frowned. She should have taken her phone with her; she had another class starting in 10 minutes, and she would need to get set up.

“Look, Akemi!” shouted Akari. “Inuyasha-oji-chan!”

Kagome looked up and her heart stopped.

Walking quickly towards them was a tall man, dressed in dark jeans and a leather jacket, his long silver hair flowing behind him. He was incredibly handsome; Kagome could see his strong tanned features and his golden eyes flashing with worry.

“Do you know him, Akemi-chan?” Kagome asked.

“Yes,” replied Akemi. “That’s Mama’s partner.”

The man waved at the girls, who tried to run to him, but Kagome held onto them tightly. “Are you sure you know him?” she asked the girls.

“Yes!” Akari said, waving back at him frantically.

The man strode up to them, smiling broadly. Kagome caught flashes of two fangs poking out from beneath his upper lip, then glimpsed two absolutely adorable ( _what?_ ) silver ears poking up from the top of his head. She felt his youki unfurling around him like a massive cape billowing in the wind. _A youkai_ , she thought to herself.

“Matsushita Inuyasha,” the man said, bowing to her. “I’m Murasaki’s partner.”

“Really?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Really,” he said, flashing his badge at her. Kagome leaned in and peered closely at the badge. _National Police Agency Criminal Affairs Bureau_ , _First Investigation Division, Matsushita Inuyasha, Detective_. She pulled back and looked up at him. “I’ve never heard of you before,” she said with a frown.

“Murasaki tries not to take her work home with her,” Matsushita explained. “But we’ve been partners for five years.”

“I’ve known Sango most of my life,” Kagome retorted.

Matsushita sighed. “Does she ever talk about work with you…”

“Higurashi Kagome,” she supplied. “I own the school.”

“With Murasaki’s husband,” he added.

She crossed her arms at him and deepened her frown. “So?”

“So go get him. He’ll tell you who I am.”

“He’s in a class,” Kagome said. “I can’t just interrupt and say, hey, Miroku, do you know this youkai who showed up to get your daughters?”

Matsushita visibly flinched. “How do you know I’m youkai?”

Kagome shrugged. “The ears and the fangs. Plus, I am a miko,” she said. “Your youki is incredible.”

He grinned in spite of himself. “Thanks, Higurashi-san. But I’m only a hanyou.”

Kagome was going to respond, but Akemi at this point was yanking on Kagome over and over. Kagome looked down at her. “What is it, Akemi-chan?”

“Inuyasha-oji-chan is here to take us home,” she said.

“Are you?” she asked Matsushita.

“Murasaki is working late tonight,” he explained. “She has some paperwork to finish up from a case.”

“Shouldn’t you be doing that together?” she asked.

He smirked. “I got my work done today.”

Kagome rolled her eyes and held out her hand. “Give me your phone.”

Matsushita looked confused. “I—what?”

Kagome’s face was resolute. “Your. Phone.”

He pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to her. She sighed and gave it back to him. “Unlock it, please,” she said placidly, as though explaining things to a child.

Matsushita unlocked the phone and gave it back to her. Kagome began scrolling through the contacts.

“If you’re looking for Murasaki, try my favorites,” he said. “It’s faster.”

Kagome rolled her eyes, but sure enough, there was Sango’s name and number. Kagome pulled up the number, pressed Call, and waited for it to ring.

“No, it’s not Matsushita. It’s Kagome,” she said when Sango picked up. “Yes, he’s here. Yes, I’m verifying that he does, in fact, know you, and that he is, in fact, okay to send your children off with. What? Okay.” Kagome paused. “Okay. _Okay_ , Sango. Yeah, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” Kagome ended the call and handed the phone back to Matsushita. “You’re cleared,” she said.

“I’m so glad you were able to confirm my identify, Higurashi-san,” he said, his golden eyes dancing in amusement.

Kagome felt her heart flutter for a brief second, then tamped it down. She looked down at the twins.

“All right girls,” she said tenderly. “Be good for Matsushita-san, okay? I’ll see you for class tomorrow.”

Both girls threw their arms around Kagome in huge bear hugs; Kagome hugged them back fiercely, her eyes brimming with tears. She looked up at Matsushita, who was gazing at the scene, his eyes blazing. She blinked at him and smiled weakly.

When she released the girls, they ran to Matsushita, who scooped them up, one in each arm. “Okay, girlies,” he said, “who’s ready for some ice cream?”

“Me!” they both cried. He laughed. _He’s sweet_ , Kagome thought.

“Take care of them?” she said.

He turned that blazing look on her again; her body was on fire. “I’ll guard them with my life,” he said.

[ ](https://kalsies.tumblr.com/post/632450436704698368/another-manga-page-commissioned-by)

Commissioned Artwork by [Kalcia](https://kalcia.tumblr.com/)

* * *

* * *

“So how do our numbers look, Kagome?” asked Miroku.

Kagome, Miroku, and Kaede sat in the office, reviewing their monthly expenditures.

“We’re in excellent shape,” Kagome said, reviewing the spreadsheet on her laptop. “We added twenty new students this month, and some of our regulars have increased their weekly lessons.” She grinned. “We should continue our recruiting—it really seems to have bolstered our numbers.”

“Those yoga classes you started teaching during the day are helping a lot, too,” Kaede pointed out.

Kagome blushed. “They are helping with our recruiting, too,” she said softly. “Some of the women coming to the sessions have kids or know kids with spiritual powers, and are recommending them to us.”

“What about adding some spiritual training classes for adults, Kagome?” asked Miroku. “There are people whose powers don’t manifest until adulthood.”

“I love that idea, Miroku!” Kagome said enthusiastically. “But when would we offer them? Our schedule is already pretty full.”

“We aren’t offering weekend classes,” Miroku pointed out. “What about some retreats? Like a series of Saturday/Sunday classes over a few weeks? We could charge a substantial amount for that, too.”

“Like an intense training, maybe for people who don’t have time to commit to weekly sessions over time?” Kagome mused. She thought for a moment, rolling that idea over in her mind. “It’d be a lot of work for us, but if we charged enough, and had enough people interested, it could be worth our while.”

Kagome looked up at the clock in the office; it was already after nine.

“We should wrap up for tonight,” she said. “I’ve got to be back here to open the studio for yoga at 10.” She also didn’t love the idea of Kaede going home alone late at night.

“Sounds good,” Miroku said. He and Kaede rose and stretched. Kaede collected her belongings.

“See you both Thursday,” she said with a wave of her hand.

“Goodnight, Kaede-obaa-chan,” Kagome called after her. “And thank you!”

Kagome and Miroku were left alone in the office. “I should get home, as well,” Miroku said, standing.

“Wait a minute, Miroku,” said Kagome. “I wanted to ask you about someone. About the man—the youkai—who came to pick up the twins today.”

Miroku turned to his friend and partner, his dark blue eyes curious. “You mean Matsushita Inuyasha?”

He was surprised when a faint blush crept across Kagome’s cheeks at the mention of his name. “That’s—that’s him,” she murmured, her face turning redder.

Miroku laughed; he couldn’t help it. “You think he’s cute.”

“I think your wife sent a youkai to a spiritual school to get your kids without letting either of us know,” she shot back. “What was she thinking?”  
  
Miroku frowned. “She was running late and needed some help. Inuyasha finished early and offered.” He shrugged. “Anyway, he’s not a _full_ youkai.”

Now Kagome was confused. “What does that even mean?”

Miroku leaned forward, his dark bangs falling across his face. “He’s a _hanyou_ , Kagome. Half demon, half human.”

“What?” Kagome exclaimed, remembering Matsushita had used that word to describe himself. She hadn’t quite understood the term. “I didn’t know such people even existed.”

“I don’t think it’s very common,” Miroku commented, “but they do exist.”

Kagome was silent for a moment, thinking back to the man. It was true; he hadn’t looked like most youkai she knew. But he had such a strong aura! She was shocked that he wasn’t full youkai.

“Inuyasha comes from a royal blood line,” Miroku said, as if reading her thoughts. “Technically, he’s a Prince, if such titles still counted today.”

“Like Kouga?” Kagome asked.

“Yes, but more powerful,” Miroku said. “Inuyasha’s father was the lord of all youkai, the Inu no Taisho. The oldest and most noble youkai line in Japan.”  
  
“So why is he a police detective, instead of off doing whatever royal youkai do?” Kagome asked.

“What does _Kouga_ do?” Miroku pointed out.

Kagome grimaced. “Point taken.” She paused for a moment, deciding if she should even bother asking the next question. “What—what else do you know about him?”

“I know he’s single,” Miroku said with a wink.

“That’s not what I was asking!” Kagome exclaimed. But her cheeks were reddening again.

“He got out of a very bad relationship not too long ago,” Miroku continued, ignoring her outburst. “He’s an excellent detective. He’s a good partner for Sango; they even each other out. He’s a little more brash, and he takes chances, but usually not stupid ones. He’s been a good friend to us, even if he is a bit rough around the edges. He usually doesn’t let anyone see past his gruff exterior, but trust me, there’s some goodness here.”

“Your daughters seem to love him.”

“He’s weirdly good with kids,” Miroku said.

Kagome was silent again, thinking about how he picked up both girls like they weighed nothing, and then gave her that _look_. That look sent a heat through her body like she’d never experienced.

“Do you want me to ask him about you?” Miroku added, giving her a wide smile.

“Huh? What? No!” Kagome babbled, waving her arms around madly. “You know I can’t.”

Miroku sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. He gave her a full, hard stare. Kagome tried to look away, but his deep blue eyes held her blue-gray ones firmly.

“You cannot go through life afraid of what might happen if you open yourself up to the possibility of love,” he said carefully. “I’ve known you for many, many, years, and never once have you even considered the possibility that romance and everything that comes with it could be an option for you.”

“Because it’s _not_ , Miroku,” she shot back, also crossing her arms and huffing. “You know that I can’t. You _know why_.”

“I know that you are one of the fiercest, most compassionate, most ambitious, and most loyal women I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing, my dear Kagome,” he replied easily. “But yet anytime someone tries to get close to you romantically, you push them away. You did that with Hojo; you did it with Kouga…”

Kagome was starting to get angry. “Look, Miroku…”

“And you are doing it again here,” he continued. He sighed, running his hands through his bangs. “Kagome, you are more than a business partner to me. You are my friend. You are my friend, and I love you.” He paused. “But I see how you look at the kids here at the school. I see how you look at my own kids! You are craving that kind of closeness with other people. You need to let yourself open up to the possibility that love can exist for you.”

Kagome was near tears. “I won’t give all of this up, Miroku! Not for love, not for kids…not for anything.”

“Who said you have to give it up, Kagome?” he asked, his face now deadly serious.

“You know how it works, Miroku,” she said. “I’m a miko. If I were to…you know…”

“Oh gods,” groaned Miroku. “You’re almost thirty years old and can’t even say it? Dammit, you’re worse off than I thought!”

“If I were to… _have sex_ …” she said it through gritted teeth, “with anyone other than my soulmate, what would happen?” He was silent. “Come on, Miroku. You should know this. You _found_ your soulmate when you were like 17. So you tell me. What. Would. Happen?”

Miroku sighed. “You’d lose your powers,” he said dully. “You would lose your powers, and you wouldn’t be able to teach your classes anymore.”

Now it was Kagome who leaned back in her chair. “Exactly,” she said. “We wouldn’t be able to keep the school. Or I wouldn’t anyway. I’ve worked too hard, Miroku, and for too long, to give this all up. Can’t you understand that?” Her face turned from hard to soft, searching her friend’s eyes for acknowledgement.

Miroku stood. “Have it your way, Kagome,” he said to her. “We keep things status quo. But you are alone, and you are lonely. Sango and I are worried about you.”

Kagome laughed. “There’s nothing to worry about,” she reassured him. “I’m fine. I have Buyo. _Really_ ,” she added when he opened his mouth to reply. “Now, get home to your wife before she starts calling me and wondering where you are.”

Miroku gathered his belongings and made to leave the office, planting a kiss on Kagome’s head on the way out. “I love you,” he said.

“I love you,” she replied, grinning at him. “Now, please. _Go_.”

Miroku left the office and gently closed the door behind him. Kagome buried her head on the desk and burst into tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick note on Inuyasha's last name: I wanted something a little bit different, and Matsushita roughly translates to "beneath the pine tree," which I thought immediately was perfect.
> 
> And the National Police Agency is the closest thing Japan has to an FBI, but is more in charge of coordinating investigations, not necessarily doing the investigating themselves (that's often left to the different local police departments). The Criminal Affairs Bureau, where Inuyasha and Sango work, does run national investigations. I've taken some liberties here to make the NPA more like the FBI, for reasons that will become clear later on in the story. 
> 
> As always, thanks so much for reading! The next chapter is quite short, but Kagome gets a visit from everyone's favorite wolf!


	2. Proposals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Tokyo miko goes missing. Kagome gets a visit from Kouga, who is worried about her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I'm happy to bring you Chapter 2 of Spirited Soulmates, where Kagome gets a visit from an old friend, who has more than one proposal for her. Please enjoy!

“Hello, Buyo,” Kagome sang as she opened her apartment door. Her cat mewed a welcome and rubbed up against her legs affectionately as she stepped into the genkan and slipped off her shoes. “I hope you like shumai and Chuukadon!” She set the bag of Chinese food on the kitchen counter, then bent over and scooped up the cat.

“Did you have a good day, sweetie?” she asked, cuddling the cat with her cheek. Buyo meowed and jostled in her arms, so Kagome set him down. She proceeded to get a beer from the refrigerator, then took it and her supper into the washitsu, where she sat at the chabudai and turned on the television. She flipped through the channels, looking for something mindless, when she settled on the news. The headline made her pause and gasp in alarm.

“Sometime between last night and this morning in Kanda, a miko was kidnapped from her shrine,” the news anchor was saying. “She was reported missing this morning when she did not open the shrine to the public. When the police arrived on the scene, they found that the shrine house had been broken into and the miko was missing. Now let’s go to Tendo Ichiro, who is on the scene in Kanda…”

As Kagome sat, slack-jawed, at the story unfolding on the television, her phone rang. Kagome jumped and looked down at the caller ID. She smiled grimly and slid her finger across the screen to accept the call.

“Kouga,” she said, putting him on speaker and turning down the television. “What’s up?”

 _“Kagome,”_ his voice came through the phone a little scratchy, like he was outside, “ _are you watching the news?_ ”

“With the missing miko? Yeah,” said Kagome, cracking open her beer.

“ _Kagome, I’m worried about you_ ,” Kouga said. “ _You’re one of the most powerful mikos in the country, and you’re running a spiritual school. You could be next._ ”

Kagome sighed and sipped her beer. “Kouga, I’m fine,” she said. “It’s a one-time thing. It’s not like mikos are missing all over the country.”

“ _That’s what you think_ ,” Kouga said. “ _She’s not the first one. Just the first one in the greater Tokyo area_.”

Kagome stilled. “What you do mean?”

“ _Are you busy right now? Can I come over_?”

“Are you outside my door, Kouga?” Kagome asked, smiling slightly and taking another swing of beer.

“ _Ummm…in about thirty seconds, I will be_.”

Kagome sighed again. “Okay.” Her door buzzed. Kagome disconnected the call and went over to the intercom. “Who is it?” she asked.

“ _Let me up, Kagome_ ,” came Kouga’s voice through the intercom.

“Okay, okay,” she said, pressing the button to let him into the building.

A minute later there was a knock at the door. Kagome pressed against the peephole in the door; sure enough, there was Kouga, peering back at her.

“Are ya gonna let me in or what?” he growled.

Kagome unlatched the chain and then unlocked the two locks on her door. As soon as she opened it, Kouga strode in, looking for all the world like he’d blown across the country to get to her. His long black ponytail, usually high on his head, was mussed and threatening to tumble down. He wore a black jacket, which was open to his white t-shirt, and his jeans, usually so neat, were dusty, as were his white sneakers.

“Come on in,” she said sarcastically, shutting the door behind him.

“Are you okay?” he asked, coming way too close to her and gazing into her face, his startling blue eyes holding her own steely ones.

Kagome gave him a little shove. “I told you, I’m _fine_ ,” she hissed, going back into the washitsu and sitting back down. “Take off your shoes. There’s beer in the fridge. Do you want some shumai?”

Kouga took off his sneakers and went to the fridge. “Ugh, Kirin Light? Really?”

“I happen to like it, wolf boy,” she commented, finally opening her take out bag and removing the containers of food.

“It’s basically water, you know,” he told her.

She held up an open container. “Shumai?”

He sat down beside her at the chabudai and accepted the chopsticks she handed him. “Chuukadon too, huh?” he asked, looking hungrily at the food.

She smiled. “Eat up,” she said to him.

He looked at her and grinned. “Itadakimasu,” they said together, and broke into the food.

For a few minutes they sat together in amiable silence, eating Kagome’s takeout. Kagome placated Buyo by giving him a bit of the meat from the Chuukadon, but the cat preferred to hide away in Kagome’s bedroom, out of range of the ookami who was occupying the living room.

When they had eaten enough for a first round, Kouga set down his chopsticks and looked hard at Kagome. “What are ya gonna do, Kagome?”

Kagome took a long sip of her beer. She frowned; it was almost empty. “Do about what?” she asked. “This almost empty beer?” She held it up to him and grinned.

Kouga sighed. “You’re so damn infuriating, woman,” he growled at her as she got up and went to the fridge for another beer.

“I do my best,” she said from behind the refrigerator door. “You want another? Or should I just get you some water instead?”

“If you’re offering, I’ll take another,” he said.

Kagome popped the caps off both bottles and brought them back to the washitsu, handing one to Kouga and taking a swig from the other. She sat back down and picked up her chopsticks. “You want the last shumai?” she asked him. He shook his head and watched her, amused, as she deftly picked it up and popped it in her mouth. She leaned back against the couch and closed her eyes. “Gochisousama deshita,” she murmured.

Kouga chuckled. “Are you ready to talk now, ‘Gome?” he asked her.

Kagome set down her chopsticks, her face serious. “There’s nothing to talk about, Kouga,” Kagome said. “I’m not going to do anything about the school without talking to Miroku first.”

“Because you trust him more than me,” Kouga said, deflated.

“Because he’s _co-owner_ ,” she said, irritated, “and I’ve also known him since I was 15. So basically half my life.”

Kouga sat for a few minutes, staring at the muted television, nursing his beer. Kagome sighed again. “Why are you here?” she asked him finally.

Kouga turned to look at her, his piercing blue eyes staring openly at her. Kagome felt herself blushing under the pressure of his gaze. “Don’t you get it by now?” he asked her. “I worry about you. I care about you.”

“Kouga—” Kagome began.

“No, I’m being very serious here, Kagome,” he said. “I know there can’t be anything between us—”

“—And you know why; please, don’t make me go through this again,” she begged him.

“I won’t,” he promised her, his face softening for a moment. “But don’t you think it’s time you let somebody in? Allowed somebody to care for you?”

She snorted. “Plenty of people care for me, Kouga,” she said, taking another swig of beer.

“That’s not what I mean,” he said gently. “Even if you don’t want more than friendship from me—which I’m totally fine with and willing to give you—can’t you at least just let me in, even a little? Let me worry about you? Fuck, let Sango and Miroku worry about you, even?”

Kagome set her beer down on the chabudai, watching the light from the television reflect in the rivulets of water forming on the sides of the bottle. She sighed and looked at him. She couldn’t fight this battle twice in one night.

“All right,” she said softly. “What would you have me do?”

He smiled; he’d won.

“I think you should hire a guard for the school,” he said. “Someone to check in the kids, and someone to check them out. This way you know who’s coming and who’s going, and when.”

“I do that most of the time anyway,” she pointed out.

“Yeah, but your classes don’t always end at the same time,” he replied. “You need someone who can act as a manager for the building while you’re teaching. I don’t like the idea of there not being someone who can oversee everything.”

“Miroku and I already do that, Kouga,” she countered.

“Not like how I’m saying,” he said. “I think you need this, ‘Gome. It will make your students feel better, and it will make the parents feel better, to know that everyone who enters the school is gonna be looked after.”

“Fine,” she said. “I’ll bring it up with Miroku tomorrow. We’ll have to see if we can afford it, and how much we could pay the person.” She eyed him up cautiously. “And I would assume you have someone in mind for this job?”

Kouga’s grin grew even wider. Kagome groaned and rubbed her temples with her thumb and forefinger.

“I’m gonna need something stronger,” she said. “How about some whiskey?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmm...Kouga working for Kagome and Miroku? What will happen the next time Inuyasha drops by the school and sees Kouga at the front desk? (Because of course there's history there...)
> 
> Quick note about Kagome's apartment: the washitsu is a Japanese-style room that has a tatami-mat floor (usually 6-8 tatami), and can be used for a variety of purposes. Kagome uses hers as a living room, so I may refer to the washitsu as either. 
> 
> In the next update: we learn a little more about the case of the missing miko, and Inuyasha pays his brother a visit. 
> 
> Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you are enjoying the story thus far <3


	3. Attractions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha pays a visit to Sesshomaru, and later faces off with Kouga. Miroku and Kagome talk about the status of their school, given the kidnappings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! Thanks so much for all the early love on this story. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it, so, I am giving you a new chapter way before I planned to do so! Please enjoy <3

Matsushita Inuyasha sat at his desk, running his hands through his long silver hair, looking intently at his computer screen. Four mikos, in a span of less than forty-eight hours, kidnapped, hundreds of miles apart. Was it coincidence? Or was there something more sinister going on?

Fuck it all, he didn’t know. These cases were small potatoes, being handled by the local law enforcement. On the surface, there didn’t seem to be a connection. The first miko was 45 years old, unmarried, living in Sendai, where she worked as a healer at a local hospital. The second was 67 years old, living in Nagano, unmarried, where she oversaw a shrine. The third, only 18 years old, unmarried college student in Osaka. And the fourth, and most recent, was 27 years old, a full-time miko, also unmarried, living at her family’s shrine in Kanda, which she managed. Yes, the women didn’t seem to have any connection, other than all being unmarried mikos. But Inuyasha had a feeling that the cases were connected somehow, and his feelings were usually right.

He sighed and poured over the reports some more, trying to learn all he could about the women. Of course there was more information about the local case, so he carefully read through the file. Her name was Ishikawa Ayumi, and she was the owner of the Ishikawa Shrine in Kanda. She’d lived there her entire life, even through college, when she’d attended Gakushin Women’s College to earn her business degree. She’d also continued her miko training her entire life, beginning at about the age of eight. Her family no longer lived at the shrine, and was understandably distraught; she had no significant other in her life that her family knew of. She had no reason to run away; she had no reason at all to do anything other than continue to live her life. And yet, she was missing.

“Murasaki,” Inuyasha said, leaning across his desk to his partner’s, “did you get anything on the cases of the missing priestesses in the other cities?”

Sango looked up from her paperwork, surprised. “Matsushita,” Sango said, “they’re not Tokyo jurisdiction, and there hasn’t been a move to make this a national case yet. I don’t think I’m going to be able to get the intel on them.”

“Can you try again?” Inuyasha barked snappishly, unable to shake the feeling of dread he had.

Sango sighed. “Why are you so obsessed with these cases, Matsushita?” she asked him.

Inuyasha shivered. For some reason, the miko who ran that school with Miroku crossed his mind. This could be her, and that thought made him sick to his stomach for some reason. “Call it a hunch,” he told her.

“Well, your hunch can also help me with these,” Sango said, tossing him some files.

Inuyasha caught them neatly with one hand and opened the first one. “A robbery?”

“A series of robberies, to be exact,” Sango said.

Intrigued, Inuyasha studied the first file. “Yamamoto Corporation,” he murmured. “Holy shit,” he said, “Gradient coils?”

“There’s more,” Sango said. “Keep looking.”

Inuyasha flipped through the files. For each location, only one thing was missing. But when those things added up…

“Is the person stealing these things trying to build an MRI machine of some kind?” he asked his partner.

Sango nodded. “That’s what I got out of it. But why not just buy one?”

“Because you either don’t have the money or you don’t want people to know you have one,” he said. “But look, it’s not just one. They’re taking enough to build at least two, maybe three.”

“Did you get to the last file yet?” Sango asked him.

Inuyasha pulled out the file and looked at the name. He looked up at her, surprised.

“Open it,” she said.

Inuyasha opened the file and read through it carefully, his golden eyes growing wide at what he saw. “What the actual fuck?” he breathed.

“So do you think you have it in you to make one visit today?” Sango asked.

“No fucking way,” Inuyasha retorted. “I’m not going within 500 meters of that place.”

Sango frowned and crossed her arms. “Tell you what,” she said. “I’m stuck under a mountain of paperwork still. You make this stop for me, then pick up the girls today from miko school. Take them home, give them a good dinner. I’ll make a few calls and try to have what you need by the time I get home.”

Inuyasha gave her a huge grin. “You are the best partner, you know.”  
  
Sango sighed. “I know,” she said.

* * *

Inuyasha stood at the massive glass doors of Matsushita Technologies, trying to decide whether or not he should go in. He knew he owed Sango big time for whatever favors she was about to call in for him to get that intel he wanted, but he had serious doubts as to whether or not it was worth a trip to the family business. The family business he’d rejected in favor of life as a cop. And the family who had subsequently rejected him.

There really wasn’t much family to talk about these days, anyway: just his older half-brother Sesshomaru, Sesshomaru’s mate Kagura, and their pups, whatever their names were. He suspected Sesshomaru was secretly pleased that Inuyasha had rejected his birthright and struck out on his own. Sesshomaru hated humans, and even with the Human-Youkai Treaty that had been signed—that _he_ had signed—Sesshomaru still treated humans with the utmost distaste and disdain. Inuyasha’s very existence chafed against all Sesshomaru believed and valued.

 _All the more reason to go in_ , Inuyasha thought suddenly with a grin. Pissing off his brother had always been one of his favorite pastimes.

Inuyasha shoved the heavy glass doors open and strode into the building like he owned it. Which he used to, actually.

A young female ookami was working at the front desk. She had red hair that was carefully braided away from her face, and she wore a headset with a tiny mouthpiece. She looked up in surprise at Inuyasha when he walked up to the desk and leaned over the desk, flashing her a toothy, fanged grin.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “Can I help you?”

“You sure can…Hitoshi-san,” he said, eyeing the nameplate on the desk. She rolled her eyes.

“And what would that be, sir?” she asked, clearly already tired of his presence.

Inuyasha stood up straight suddenly. “Please tell my brother that I insist on seeing him at once,” he said.

Hitoshi looked him over. “And who might your brother be?”

Inuyasha smirked; his dog ears poked out from under his hair. Hitoshi gasped. “Matsushita Sesshomaru, if you please. Tell him to cancel everything. _Now_.”

Hitoshi paled and quickly dialed a number. She spoke to someone on the other end of the phone briefly, but as she did so, Inuyasha already started heading for the elevator. “Matsushita-san!” she called after him. “You can’t just go up there!”

“It’s okay, miss,” he called back, “I know where his office is.” The elevator doors dinged and Inuyasha stepped inside.

Hitoshi went back to the phone. “He’s on his way up, Rin. Nope, I couldn’t stop him. You better let Matsushita-sama know.”

* * *

When the elevator doors opened on the building’s seventeenth floor, Inuyasha was hit with the familiar scent of his brother. It was _everywhere_ , and it was overwhelming. Inuyasha was propelled back a few steps; quickly, he pulled himself together and got out of the elevator before the doors closed. Once he stood in the large room that would lead him to his brother’s office, he was struck by all the memories Sesshomaru’s scent ignited. Inuyasha could see his father hoisting him up onto his shoulders, running around in a similar room with him, while his mother laughed and Sesshomaru lounged lazily nearby. He could hear his father’s playful growls as they wrestled; he could almost scent his father’s woodsy, ethereal smell, which he had nearly forgotten that he still knew. The images of his childhood surrounded him, and he grew dizzy with the rush of nostalgia that hit him right in the chest.

“Hello, little brother.”

Ah, fuck. All the good feelings Inuyasha was struggling with went down with the elevator at the sound of _that_ voice.

“Sesshomaru.” Inuyasha’s voice was nothing more than a low growl.

Sesshomaru stood across the great room, outside his office. He hadn’t aged since Inuyasha had seen him last, but that was to be expected when one was around five hundred years old. His long silver hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, allowing his pointed ears to be on full display: a sign of his pure youkai status, unlike Inuyasha’s little triangle dog ears on top of his head, which belied his status as a hanyou and thus, in Sesshomaru’s eyes, _less than._ Sesshomaru wore a dark gray suit; his white button-down shirt underneath was open at the collar. The drabness of his color palette emphasized his royal facial markings: the violet crescent moon on his forehead, and the red stripes, two of them, that started at his ears and went across to the middle of each cheek. His eyes, like Inuyasha’s, were gold, but hard and calculating. Sesshomaru’s youki was flowing out from around him in extremely aggressive waves. Inuyasha steeled himself for whatever was about to come next. He couldn’t fucking believe he’d let Sango talk him into this trip.

Sesshomaru motioned Inuyasha over with what appeared to be a half-hearted wave, but Inuyasha knew better: his brother couldn’t give a shit that he was there, and the wave was more for show than anything else. It was half-hearted not because he was causal or friendly, but because he literally didn’t care.

“What brings you back to the family business today, little brother?” Sesshomaru asked when Inuyasha got closer. He leaned back against the doorframe to his office and crossed his arms, his golden eyes still cold, but amused.

“I—I need to talk to you about a case,” Inuyasha said quietly. _Fuck!_ He always had this air of deference around his brother. Unless Sesshomaru pissed him off. Then he tended to go apeshit. There was little room for anything in between when it came to them.

Sesshomaru nodded and went into his office. Inuyasha followed, and couldn’t help but gawk a bit. His brother had certainly done some renovating in the years since Inuyasha had been gone. The office was huge, probably at least twice the size of Inuyasha’s whole apartment, and had floor-to-ceiling windows along one wall. Sesshomaru’s desk was situated parallel to another wall, which was lined with bookcases full of books, awards, photos…all signs of his accomplishments. The wall opposite his desk was a mix of filing cabinets and computers. There was a large conference table in the middle.

Sesshomaru sat behind the massive pine desk and indicated that Inuyasha take the seat opposite; he did so nervously. Sesshomaru leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

“So, little brother,” he commented, “what kind of a case would bring you crawling back to the family after so many years?” His eyes raked over Inuyasha’s form.

Inuyasha growled in response. “Don’t fucking do that, Sess,” he said. “I did what I did because I wanted to follow my own path. Don’t make me feel fucking guilty for that.”

“Apologies, little brother,” said Sesshomaru easily, “but if you feel any guilt, that is all your own.”

“Goddammit!” Inuyasha howled, slamming his fist onto the desk, his youki flaring up around him. “You just can’t let it alone, can you?”

“You came here for a case, did you not?” Sesshomaru responded, his eyes now flashing, although his body language remained nonplussed. “Speak.” He let loose a flow of youki towards his brother, forcing him to submit.

Inuyasha took a deep breath and dialed down his youki. If he pissed off his brother, he wouldn’t get the answers he needed. “Fine.” Inuyasha opened his messenger bag and pulled out a folder. He threw it on the desk between the two of them.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. “And this is?”

Inuyasha opened the folder with a flourish and pushed it in front of his brother. “There have been a series of robberies in the greater Tokyo area over the past month,” he said. “My partner and I have determined that some of the pieces stolen could be used to build an MRI machine, but what do you make of these items?”

Sesshomaru peered at the report. His gaze returned to his brother, cold and unyielding. “Why have you brought this to this Sesshomaru?” he asked.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. His brother’s use of the third person was so fucking _stupid_. “I’m asking your opinion as an expert in the field, Sess,” Inuyasha said impatiently. “What do you think?”

Sesshomaru counted off the items on his clawed fingers. “These pieces would be used to build a laser,” he said. “Quite possibly, a laser used for microchip technology. Or, see here.” He gestured to one section of the list. “Some of these elements could be used to change the properties of the laser, like the polarization and the wavelength. And this here—” he indicated at the final item on the list “—is very controversial, and I’m not sure why they would want it.”

“What’s your expert opinion?” Inuyasha asked sharply.

“Hn,” said Sesshomaru. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. “Allow this Sesshomaru to do some research, little brother,” he added at last. “It’s tricky to say without more knowledge.”

Inuyasha nodded and was silent for a moment, thinking. Sesshomaru simply relaxed in his chair, watching his brother. The silence between them was atypical, as they were usually trying to tear the other’s head off, but not unpleasant.

Inuyasha finally closed the file and stood. He put the file back in his bag. “Thanks for your help,” he said. “Can I call you to check on your research soon?”

Sesshomaru nodded briefly. “So our bond is only good insofar as it enables you to get the answers you seek?” he asked.

Inuyasha sighed. “No,” he said harshly, “our bond is only good insofar as you aren’t a dick.”

Sesshomaru dismissed him with a wave. “Until next time, little brother.”

Inuyasha actually decided to bite his tongue this time; his brother had given him some decent information, and he wasn’t going to burn that bridge today. He nodded, and left the office; he couldn’t help leaving a trail of his youki behind him as he walked, though.

* * *

Inuyasha was late. He’d promised Sango he would collect the girls after visiting his brother, and that took so long that he was now running behind schedule. He hoped that the teacher wouldn’t be too upset with him. He knew she had another class following the girls’ class, and he didn’t want her waiting around too long for him.

Because he did think she was maybe a little bit cute, and he didn’t want to turn her off before he’d had a chance to see if she was attracted to him.

Even if she was a miko.

There was no parking in front of the school, so he pulled into a spot on the street down the block and rushed up the sidewalk. When he got to the glass door, he opened it and dashed inside. His chest heaved as he paused to take a breath.

“Well, well, well…” said a familiar deep voice he hoped he’d _never_ have to hear again, “look at what the cat dragged in.”

Inuyasha looked up. Sitting at the desk in the entryway was the wolf. His deep blue eyes sparked with anger, and he was emitting a low growl at Inuyasha.

“What the fuck are you doing here, wolf?” asked Inuyasha rudely.

Kouga leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “I work here now,” he said with a broad grin.

“You— _what_?” Inuyasha couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“I. Work. Here.” Kouga was clearly enjoying Inuyasha’s discomfort.

“What? When? I was just here two days ago, and you sure as shit weren’t working here then,” Inuyasha spat.

“I’m helping out the owners as a favor,” he said easily. “Kagome and I go way back.”

What? _What_? 

_Ka-go-me?_

“Kouga,” said a female voice from down the hall, “please don’t harass our parents.” She stopped when she saw Inuyasha; he was pretty sure she was blushing a little. She looked ethereal in her traditional miko garb—the white kosode and red hakama. Her blue-black hair was pulled back in a high ponytail and glistened against the white of her kosode. She was barefoot. “It’s you,” she said to Inuyasha, surprised.

Akemi and Akari squealed and ran to Inuyasha. He picked up one girl in each arm. “How was class today, girls?” he asked them.

“We’re working on our barriers, Inu-oji-chan!” said Akemi. “Let me show you—”

“Akemi-chan, maybe that’s not the best idea,” said Kagome hurriedly. “You can show your mom when you get home, though.” Akemi pouted, but didn’t try to erect a barrier that would purify her honorary uncle.

“I’m sorry that I’m here for the girls again,” Inuyasha said. “Murasaki is working on a job for me, and I promised I would stop by after working on a lead for her.” His eyes narrowed. “How do you know the wolf? And why is he here?”

Kagome frowned prettily. “Kouga?” Kouga grinned and preened a little; Inuyasha had always through the wolf had too much confidence, but this made him want to punch the guy in the face.

“Kouga’s a friend,” she said offhandedly. Inuyasha let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “He offered to come help us out with security because of the missing mikos.”

“I’m aware of the case,” Inuyasha said gruffly. “Murasaki’s at the station working on it now.”

“Really? Sango is?” Kagome asked.

“At least the police force is doing something right for once,” Kouga commented.

“Hey,” Inuyasha said, “we had just cause and that search warrant was legit. And if I recall, we did find out that the killer was using your club as a base.”

“Yeah,” said Kouga, “but he wasn’t on my staff.”

“That didn’t matter, wolf,” Inuyasha growled. “We had to investigate every angle. You know we’ve got to go by the book.”

Kouga stood up, his youki unfurling in an attempt to intimidate Inuyasha, but Kagome stepped between them, her hakama flowing around her, her reiki buzzing just below the surface. “Enough, boys,” she said firmly. “There are _children_ here.”

Inuyasha froze as he remembered the girls in his arms. He coughed a little. “Whatever. I’m glad you have someone here to help keep an eye on the kids, Higurashi-san. But isn’t it dangerous for him to be at a spiritual school?”

“Kouga can take care of himself just fine,” Kagome said, Kouga grinning widely behind her at the compliment. Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “It’s not ideal, but if we were going to do this, I wanted someone I knew for the job.”

“Sure, sure.” He adjusted Akari and Akemi so they both rested on one arm. “Ready to go home, girls?” he asked them.

“Ready!” they chorused. Inuyasha started to head towards the door, but paused and turned back to look at Kagome. She was smiling at the girls, but her face looked like her heart was breaking to see them go. He could tell that she loved them.

“See you around, Higurashi,” he said with a wave of his hand.

Her eyes grew wide with surprise. “See—see you around, Matsushita-san,” she said breathlessly. Her scent changed a little, and not unpleasantly. Inuyasha smiled to himself, pleased that it had happened in front of the wolf.

As Inuyasha left with the girls, Kagome found herself staring after them, and barely noticed when Kouga made a sound of disgust. “Really, Kagome?” he said distastefully. “ _Him_?”

Kagome snapped back to reality. “Him, what?” she asked, turning to Kouga.

“You _like_ him,” Kouga said, frowning.

“What?” Kagome said again, blinking her eyes. “I don’t like _anybody_ , Kouga. Get real.”

“Maybe _you_ should get real, Higurashi,” said Kouga, using her family name to make a point. “He’s just a hanyou. If you want a youkai, you should think about _me_. I am a _Lord_ , after all.” He leaned back in his chair again and grinned a wide, wolfish smile at her.

Kagome shook her head angrily. “Whatever. I have class.” She stomped down the hall, Kouga laughing loudly after her.

* * *

“Thanks for today, Kouga,” Kagome said, walking her last class out of the smaller dojo for the evening and greeting the ookami at the front desk. “I appreciate your being here.”

Kouga grinned. “Not a problem, Kagome,” he said. “I can be here every day if you need me.”

“Who’s opening the club for you?” she asked. “I don’t want to take you away from your job.”

"Ginta and Hakkaku can do it,” he said carelessly. “I close now, so it’s a good trade-off.”

“It means all late nights for you,” she said worriedly.

Kouga stood up and took her hands in his. “If it means your safety, then it’s worth it,” he said seriously.

Kagome blushed. “Thanks, Kouga,” she said honestly. “I appreciate your concern.”

“It’s not a problem,” he told her, smiling. “Now, I have to get going. Murasaki’s going to give you a ride home, right?”

“Sure,” Kagome said. “We have some things to finish up tonight, and I don’t know how late we’ll be. I don’t want you to have to hang around.”

He squeezed her hands, then let them go. “Call if you need me, okay?”

She nodded. He grabbed his jacket from the desk and left, waving as he went.

Kagome let out a deep breath and sank back against the desk. She didn’t know how many more of Kouga’s displays of affection she could take.

“Not easy having your crush work for you, is it?” Miroku said, coming up behind her. Kagome jumped about a mile in the air.

“What the hell, Miroku!” she said, hitting him as he laughed. She frowned. “You know Kouga is _not_ my crush.”

“I guess,” he said. “You two seem pretty chummy.”

“We’re friends,” she said shortly. She looked past him. “Where are your students?”

Miroku chuckled. “They’re cleaning up the dojo tonight. I wanted to make sure that we didn’t have to do that, since we’ve got other things to discuss.”

Kagome sighed. “Right. The missing mikos.” She looked down the hall. “Why don’t you go check on your students, and then meet me in the office? I’m going to get changed.”

“You got it,” Miroku said. They walked together down the hall; Miroku left her at the large dojo, where Kagome watched his students wiping down the mats with the mops and disinfectant. Miroku was right; it was a huge relief to not have to do that. She ran to the office, got her duffel bag, and then went into the bathroom to change. She didn’t like using the dressing room when there were students still around.

Kagome slipped into a stall and put her duffel on the back of the toilet. Silently, she slipped out of her kimono and hakama, and pulled a pair of leggings, a tank top, and a long cardigan out of her bag. She slowly got dressed, then put on a pair of slippers. Her shoes were by the front door, like everyone else’s. She stepped out of the stall and looked in the mirror, frowning at her reflection. Her hair was a mess. Quickly, she pulled it out of its ponytail, ran her fingers through it, and redid the ponytail so it was a little sleeker. A few hairs still escaped and curled around her face and ears, but it was better than before.

By the time she made it back to the office, Miroku was already waiting for her, sitting at the small conference table, frowning and lost in thought.

“I’m here,” she said, bringing him back to reality. “What’s on your mind?”

“Hm? Me? Nothing,” he said quickly. She sat beside him and stared at him openly. “What?” he asked.

Kagome leaned back and crossed her arms. “You said it was nothing,” she commented.

“Yes, well.” He reached into his duffel bag, which was on the floor next to him, and pulled out a file. “Sango isn’t supposed to share information with me, but given that we could be a target, she’s worried and wants us to be on our guard. That’s the _only_ reason I agreed to hire the wolf,” he added. “Because I actually agree with him: we do need a little extra protection around here, and if whoever’s taking the mikos hears that we have the Lord of the East as our receptionist/muscle, they’ll stay away.”

“If it’s a youkai that’s taking the mikos,” Kagome pointed out. “A human isn’t going to know shit about youkai politics.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Miroku countered. “It’s still better to be safe.”

She couldn’t argue with that.

“So what do you think, Miroku?” Kagome asked. “Do you think we should close the school for now?”

Miroku shook his head. “I think that so long as we keep close tabs on the kids, we should be fine. We can have Kouga or one of us check them in when they come in, and then we can say that all pick-ups must be on the approved list. We can ask for ID if need be, but most of the time the kids will recognize who’s picking them up.”

“Right,” Kagome said, thinking of how excited the twins were when Matsushita-san came to get them. “Because I don’t want to close the school, but I want the students to be safe.”

“My kids are here, Kagome,” Miroku said gently. “I want the students to be safe, too.”

Kagome blushed, but didn’t say anything.

“Speaking of which,” he said, standing up, “I’ve got to get home. I promised Sango I wouldn’t stay here too late tonight. Do you need a ride home?”

Kagome shook her head. “I’ll walk. I have a few things to finish up here tonight anyway. I think I will draft an email to send to the parents—I’ll send it to you first, and if you think it looks okay, I will send it out in the morning.”

“Sounds good.” He ruffled her hair on his way out. “Don’t work too hard.”

“I always do!” Kagome said brightly after him. When he closed the door to the office, she sighed, sinking her head into her hand. What a mess. She prayed that the school would be able to stay open, and that Kouga’s presence would help assuage any fears parents might have.

Outside, Miroku dashed off a quick text. _She’s sticking around for a bit by herself. Why don’t you come back here and walk her home?_ He left the building and headed for his car, smiling.

* * *

Her body rested on the cold, metal table. She’s been stripped of her clothes only the gods knew how long ago, and for what? To be poked and prodded by a series of men in lab coats, wearing goggles and carrying exceptionally large needles? To have her body opened up, and to have foreign things inserted under her skin? And then they had put her in some kind of tube, tying her down and ordering her to relax, not to speak, and telling her it would all be over soon. But she didn’t believe that; she knew from the moment she was taken that she was a dead woman.

And now, on the table, Tanaka Aiko tried to factor in options for her escape. She could use her powers to break the bonds, but what then? She had no idea where she was or how she got there. She also didn’t know where her clothes were or how to get them back. She was naked; she was alone; she was afraid. And she suspected that was just how her captor liked it.

The door to the room opened: a loud squeaky sound against the silence. She could feel his presence before she could see him: fierce, dark, and demanding. With an aura like that, he was at least part youkai, she was sure. Not like the other man who seemed to direct the experiments--he was definitely human. But also definitely not the one in charge. That man--the human--answered to this man, the youkai. She kind of wished it was the other way around.

The part-youkai man came over to her and ran a clawed hand down the side of her face, tracing her jawline, down her neck, and settling at her clavicle. “Any changes today?” he asked her.

She resisted the urge to spit in his face. “You know there haven’t been,” she hissed at him.

He sighed: a long, drawn-out sigh, full of regret and sadness. “And you know the consequences for not producing,” he said. He leaned forward, over her face, and kissed her lips lightly. Her stomach heaved, but she kept her composure. He pulled back at her stiffness, and he frowned.

“It could have been different,” he told her sadly.

“Yes,” she said.

“But you didn’t do what I asked."

“I _couldn’t_ ,” she insisted.

He sighed. “Very well.” He stood fully and crossed back to the other side of the room. “Just remember,” he told her, “you did this to yourself.”

And he shut off the light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick note on the honorifics in this chapter: in a company, the CEO would normally be referred to as either X-shachou (company president) or X-sama (most respectful version of -san). For Sesshomaru's situation, I went with -sama, as befits his position as both company president and Lord of the West. Hitoshi refers to Inuyasha as -san because he has given up his role in the company. I thought about using -sama for him as well (given his royal blood), but I didn't want there to be confusion. 
> 
> In the next update: Inuyasha picks up Kagome from school, and she has a startling realization. 
> 
> And as always, thanks so much for reading, and feedback is always welcome ^_^


	4. Companionship, Not Protection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha walks Kagome home from school. Kagome realizes something about Inuyasha, and freaks out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! Thank you so much for the love you are showing this story. 
> 
> We are headed into my birthday weekend (yay!), so here is a chapter full of InuKag fluff!

[ ](https://fawn-eyed-girl.tumblr.com/post/632718869333688320/ahhh-kalsies-another-amazing-job-look-at)

Commissioned Artwork by [kalcia](https://kalcia.tumblr.com/)

* * *

It was after ten when Kagome finally locked up for the night. Late, yes, but not terribly. She’d be able to stop at a convenience store and pick up a meal still. She paused outside the door after locking it, giving herself a moment to inhale the crisp night air.

“Meditating outside of school, now, are we?” chuckled a familiar voice.

“Who—” Kagome spun around. “Matsushita-san,” she said, surprised.

Inuyasha stepped out of the shadows cast by the building. “Hello, Higurashi-san,” he said. “You shouldn’t be here so late by yourself, you know.”

“I can take care of myself, _you know_ ,” she retorted. She turned and started to walk the opposite direction, away from him.

“The monk texted and asked me to see you get home safely,” he said, falling into step beside her. “And with a miko kidnapper on the loose, I can’t say that I blame him for worrying.”

“ _Really_?” she asked, looking up at him.

“S—sure,” he said, stammering a bit at the way her gray eyes sparkled against the street lamps. “From what Murasaki’s told me, you’re pretty powerful. Plus, you light up like a Ferris wheel at night. Your aura,” he added when she looked at him, confused. “Your aura is hot pink, like you’re out of a bad 80s movie or something. Any youkai or human with spiritual training can detect it for miles around.”

“You’re one to talk,” she said. “You’ve got a crazy strong aura, yourself.”

“And yet you didn’t notice it when you left the building tonight, did you?” he teased her.

Kagome frowned. “I—I had other things on my mind,” she whispered.

Inuyasha leaned a little closer to her. “Like what?” She could smell him; he smelt of pine trees, and sandalwood, and musk. It was invading her senses, making it hard for her to focus.

“Like—” her phone suddenly started buzzing like crazy. She grumbled and reached into her jacket pocket. “What?” she said fiercely.

“ _Kagome, it’s me_ ,” said a familiar voice. “ _Just want to make sure you’re okay._ ”

“Kouga, I’m _fine_ ,” Kagome insisted, and Inuyasha grinned inwardly at the impatience in her voice. “I’m on my way home now.”

“ _By yourself?”_ Kouga asked incredulously. “ _Stay where you are. I’ll come get you_.”

“Kouga, I said I’m _fine_ , but thank you,” she replied. “Matsushita-san is walking me home.”

There was a long pause on the other end of the phone. Inuyasha was now quietly snickering. “ _The mutt? How come you asked him_?” Kouga sounded angry and put out.

“I _didn’t_ ask anyone to come get me,” she hissed. “He just showed up. I’m _fine_ ,” she added again for emphasis, looking at Inuyasha as she spoke. His ears flattened against his head and he growled at her. Kagome’s aura immediately spiked.

“Look, I’ll text you when I get home, okay?” she said. “I’ll be okay.” She paused. “Thanks for checking on me,” she added softly. “’Bye.”

She ended the call and turned her attention to Inuyasha. “You heard that, right?” she said. “Don’t get any ideas. I’m not some poor helpless shrine maiden who doesn’t understand her own power. I can take care of myself.”

Fuck, she was _impossible!_ “Listen, woman, did you not hear what I just said? Your aura is fucking _insane_. You’re gonna attract trouble in these times with it. You’ve got to tamp it down, or else!”

“Or else what, dog boy?” she challenged him.

“Or else you’re gonna end up on my list of missing mikos, that’s what!” Did she not get that her life could be in danger?

Kagome’s face burned red and her aura shot up around her; Inuyasha took a step back. She looked like she wanted to give him a scathing retort, but instead she jammed her hands in her pockets and walked faster, her eyes straight ahead. She refused to look at him.

Inuyasha easily matched his strides to hers and kept alongside her. “I’m walking you home, Higurashi. And I’ll start walking you home every night from now on, if you can’t listen to reason.”

“Kouga has offered to pick me up, you know,” she shot back.

“And you would _want_ him to do that?” he asked, surprised.

Kagome paused. “Not really,” she grumbled, shoving her hands further into her pockets.

Inuyasha smiled. “Then why not let me do it? I am a detective; I could prote—keep you company,” he said, changing his tactic when she gave him a deathly glare again.

“I don’t really need the protection,” she said vehemently. Then, after a pause, she said, in a softer tone, “but I appreciate the company.”

Inuyasha noticed the shift in her scent again, and did his best to keep from blushing. He considered her against the street lights; they reflected off her blue-black hair, casting a gentle glow around her. The collar of her velvet jacket was turned up to protect her against the chill of the evening. Her eyes were cast downward, bringing attention to her thick eyelashes. She was definitely cute, although mikos weren’t really his speed. He’d been down that road before, and it hadn’t ended well.

Kagome paused outside a convenience store. “Do you want anything?” she asked him.

“Huh?”

She cocked her head to the side and eyed him bemusedly. “You are a detective, are you not? You should have excellent listening skills, should you not?”

Inuyasha growled. “Dammit, woman, I _was_ listening!” He paused. “Just not sure why you want to go into a convenience store at 10 at night.”

“Um, because I’m hungry,” she retorted, grabbing his hand to pull him inside.

There was a sudden jolt of electricity between them; it zapped Kagome right through to her core, and she dropped his hand. Her eyes narrowed. “Come on,” she said abruptly, going through the automatic doors.

Inuyasha gaped after her, his hand still hanging by his side. _What the ever-loving fuck was that?_ He picked up his hand and looked at it as though he were seeing it for the first time. He could still feel sparks of electricity radiating off of it.

“Come _on_!” Kagome stepped back through the door and growled at him this time, so he put it out of his mind and followed her into the store.

She made a beeline for the prepared meals, picking out a few different bento boxes. She then selected several onigiri and some pork buns. “Anything special you want besides this?” she asked Inuyasha. He shrugged. _Does she expect me to stay_?

Apparently, she did.

Kagome went to the checkout and paid for the food. “Do we need drinks?” he asked her.

“I have beer at my apartment,” she replied. “Can you have one if you’re off-duty?” He shrugged, and she growled again. “Could you at least _answer_ me?” she demanded.

He smirked. She sighed and grabbed the bags. “Come on,” she said, “it’s not much further.”

Inuyasha followed her out of the convenience store and down the block. He was astonished at how far it was from the school to her apartment—at least a mile.

“Do you walk this every night by yourself?” he asked her.

“Every night but tonight,” she said with a grim smile. “I told you—”

“—you can take care of yourself, I know,” he replied, sighing.

“Here,” she said suddenly, turning the corner and stopping in front of a small apartment complex. It was only four stories, with rows of tiny apartment balconies running along the side of the building. Kagome let them into the main lobby, then stopped at the mailboxes and checked her mail, pulling out several envelopes. “It’s a walkup and I’m upstairs,” she said. “You did want to stay for food, right? It’s the least I can do since Miroku made you come all this way.”

“Sure,” he said, “convenience store takeout is the best.” Kagome mumbled something incoherent, but led the way regardless.

He followed her up two flights of stairs, then through the door to her hallway. When they reached her apartment, she held out the bags, saying, “Can you hold these?” with a tight smile on her face. When he reached out to take the bags, their hands touched, and that same jolt of electricity leapt between them. Inuyasha almost dropped the takeout in his surprise.

“What the hell?” he muttered, only to notice Kagome also looking down at her hand.  
  
“Did you feel that, too?” she asked quietly. Her eyes were cast down to the carpeted hallway.

“I did,” he replied. “Do you know what that was?”

She didn’t answer him, but opened her bag and rifled around inside for her keys. She pulled them out, opened the door to her apartment, and held the door for him. He stepped inside and they both removed their shoes. A faint mewing was heard from nearby, and Kagome bent down.

“Buyo!” she cooed, scooped up the cat. “Did you miss me today?”

“Whoa, a cat?” Inuyasha said.

“Do you not like cats?” Kagome asked. “I mean, given your…” she nodded at his ears.

He laughed. “Cats are fine,” he said. “They just don’t always like me.” He held up the bags. “Where should I put these?”

“Just on the chabudai,” she said. “I’ll get some chopsticks and some plates. Do you want a beer?”

“Please,” he said, going into the six-tatami-mat washitsu. He looked around. It was sparsely decorated; Kagome had turned it into a living room, with a chabudai, a couch, and a television seated on a stand. Inuyasha settled himself at the chabudai.

“Is it okay to sit there?” Kagome asked from the kitchen.

“It’s fine,” he replied.

“Oh good,” she said, bringing in chopsticks, plates, a couple spoons, and two beers.

“Kirin Light?” He looked at her and smirked.

She rolled her eyes. “What is it with guys not liking Kirin Light?”

Inuyasha felt his heart darken a bit. “I—don’t know?”

“First Kouga, now you…” Kagome sighed and set the beers down. She took the bento boxes, the onigiri, and the meat buns out of the bags. She laid out the spoons and handed him a plate and chopsticks. “Help yourself,” she said. “And…thanks.” Her eyes dropped; she whispered the last part.

“It’s no problem, really,” he said, helping himself to some katsudon and some yakisoba. He watched as Kagome opened the beers, handing him one first, and then serving herself. He noticed that she was feeding Buyo bits of pork under the table. He smiled.

“So, what’s the story with you and the mangy wolf?” he asked between bites. He couldn’t help himself.

Kagome looked up, surprised. “Kouga?”

“Do you know another wolf?” Inuyasha took a swig of his beer.

“No.” Kagome slurped down some yakisoba and then sipped her beer. “We’re friends,” she said finally.

He barked out a laugh. “Does _he_ know that?”

“What does that mean?” she asked hotly.

“He seems to like you an awful lot for ‘friends,’” he pointed out.

Kagome was silent. He wasn’t wrong.

“Kouga would…like more,” she said. “But it’s not going to happen.”

“Why not?” Inuyasha asked her. “I mean, I’m not the guy’s biggest fan by a long shot, but he does seem to care for you. And he’s a Lord, even if he does run a seedy nightclub.”

Kagome paused. How to explain?

“There can’t—” she was struggling to find the words. “There can’t be anything between Kouga and me.”

“Okay.” He took a big swig of beer this time. “Again, though, does he know that?”

“He does,” she said firmly. “He’s…he’s…oh dammit, I don’t even know you!” she finally exclaimed, reaching for her beer and guzzling it down. She slammed the bottle on the table. “I’m getting another one.” She leveled her gaze at Inuyasha, her face beet red—from embarrassment or the alcohol, Inuyasha wasn’t sure. Maybe both. “Want another?”

He chuckled. “Sure.” She stood up shakily and went to the kitchen. Inuyasha watched her go, confused.

* * *

Once safely in the kitchen, Kagome grabbed a dish towel and screamed silently into it. What was _with_ this guy? Why was he being so damn personal? What she did—or didn’t do—with Kouga wasn’t anyone’s business but her own. Okay, and maybe Sango’s and Miroku’s. But still! To tell a guy she’d just met, _oh, there can’t be anything between me and that other guy, because he’s not my soulmate, and I think maybe you are_?

Yeah, that would go over well.

Kagome opened the refrigerator door, letting the cool air caress her face. From what she’d read, and from what Miroku had told her about when he met Sango, the first time someone with spiritual powers touched their soulmate, they would feel something like a jolt of electricity and begin to feel a pull towards the other person. Which had just happened with Inuyasha. Twice.

According to Miroku, the desires, the dreams, and the urges got worse and worse with Sango until he finally gave in and initiated more physical contact. Which, she remembered, didn’t take long, despite how young they were when they met. Kagome didn’t know a ton of the details because, quite frankly, it was weird and she didn’t want to ask either of them about their sex lives—she knew more than she wanted to already. She did know from articles she’d read that a kiss could satiate the pull, but ultimately, consummating the relationship was the only way to bring the attraction and the urges under control. When Inuyasha asked why there couldn’t be anything between her and Kouga, the answer was simple: Kouga touched her, and she felt nothing. This man—Inuyasha...no...Matsushita-san—looks at her, barely touches her—and her insides crackle and spark like she’s a live wire electrocuting anything in her path.  
  
Kagome blushed. If this was the case, and he was in fact her soulmate, then she was in _big_ trouble.

“Higurashi-san?” called a gruff voice from the washitsu. “Didya fall into the fridge?”

Kagome stood up so fast she bashed her head on the roof of the fridge. “I’m fine,” she grunted, holding the back of her head and swearing silently. She pulled two beers from the fridge and slammed the door shut, hearing the bottles in the door jingle against each other. She popped the caps off the beers and tossed the caps in the trash. She seriously thought about grabbing the bottle of whiskey she kept in the pantry and taking a massive swig to settle her nerves.

 _Fuck it all_ , she thought. She also grabbed two small cups and the whiskey, and brought it all back into the washitsu.

“I thought we were just having more beer?” Inuyasha asked, his one eyebrow raised.

Kagome held out her hands; he took one beer and one small cup. She sat back down and poured a little whiskey into each cup. “I needed something a little stronger,” she said apologetically. “It’s been a long day.”

“And I guess you don’t want to talk about it,” he reasoned.

“Not really,” she grimaced, taking down all the whiskey in one shot, then chasing it with a swig of beer.

“Do you drink like this often?” he asked.

“Is it any of your business?” she asked.

“It is if it’s going to interfere in your ability to do your job,” he shot back. She glared at him. “The monk is my friend, Higurashi-san,” he said, “And his wife is my partner. If you can’t work, the whole school goes under, and then my friends lose money.”

She rolled her eyes. “It’s _fine_ ,” she said between clenched teeth. She stabbed a meat bun with a chopstick and brought it to her mouth, not caring how rude she looked. He watched her carefully, studying her, like she was one of his cases.

“How about you?” she finally asked.

“What about me?”

“Do you drink like this often?”

“Woman,” he said, grinning, “I’m a hanyou. Human alcohol doesn’t bother me.”

“Human alcohol?” she asked, surprised.

“Youkai alcohol would knock you on your ass,” he said. “Don’t even ask me.”

“I wasn’t going to,” she huffed. Kagome poured herself more whiskey; her hand shook as she held the bottle. They sat together and ate and drank in silence for a few moments. The air in the room grew thick with tension; Buyo had long ago retreated to the safety of Kagome’s bedroom.

She sat there, alternating between silently fuming and burning with curiosity about him. She wanted to know everything about him, and she wanted to know absolutely nothing. She couldn’t afford to get involved, no matter how much her instincts were going bananas and practically playing shrine bells in her head.

“So,” she said at last, the silence killing her, “you said that you and Sango are working on the missing miko case?”

He looked up from his yakisoba and gazed at her, his amber eyes blazing again. She held onto the chabudai to steady herself. “We are.”

“Do…do you have any leads?”

Inuyasha put down his chopsticks. “You know I can’t disclose police work, Higurashi-san.”

She paused. “I know, but…”

“But what?”

“Maybe…maybe I could be of help?” She had no idea what she was saying. _Dammit_! Damn whiskey and his damn eyes! She couldn’t think straight.

He laughed; a real, actual laugh. It was loud and booming, and she would have liked it if he wasn’t laughing at _her_.

“So you are a detective now, too?” he asked her, clearly amused.

“You’re looking for someone who is kidnapping mikos,” she pointed out grumpily. “Maybe you need a miko to help you solve this case.”

He paused. That wasn’t the worst idea he’d ever heard.

“Maybe,” he said.

“Maybe?”

“ _Maybe._ ”

“Okay.” She huffed and took another sip of whiskey.

“I’d need to clear it with Murasaki and with my boss. But it’s not a terrible idea, Higurashi.”

She noticed he dropped the honorific. Why did that please her so damn much?

Inuyasha looked like he was about to say something else, when his phone buzzed. He grunted and answered it, putting the phone to his ear. “Matsushita.” He listened for a moment. “Okay,” he said. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.” He stood.

“Thanks for the meal, Higurashi,” he said. “I’ve got to go.”

“Go?” she asked. “It’s eleven o’clock at night. Where would you have to go?”

“Someone reported finding a body,” he told her. “It could be one of our missing mikos.”

Kagome froze while Inuyasha went to the genkan. He slipped on his shoes.

“Tonight,” he said, opening her door. “Lock this door after I leave, and do not open it for anyone. _Anyone_ ,” he repeated when he saw her mouth start to move. “And tomorrow, I want someone to take you to work. I don’t care if it’s the monk or the damn wolf,” he added. “You can’t be alone.”

She burned red; her aura started sparking in her anger. “You don’t get to tell me what to do, Matsushita-san,” she said hotly.

He growled at her. “Dammit, you need to stay safe! I don’t care if you keep the school open; just be smart about it. Don’t let your students leave the school unattended, and the same goes for you.” He paused. “How late do your classes go tomorrow?”

“Eight.”

“I’ll pick you up at eight-thirty. _No arguments_. If I can’t get there, I’ll let you know by eight so you can have the monk or the wolf take you home.” His eyes grew momentarily soft. “Nothing can happen to you, okay?”

 _He’s worried_. “Okay,” she said with a tight smile. He nodded once, and was gone.

Kagome got up after him and locked the door. She cleaned up the food and the empty cups and bottles from the chabudai, and brought everything into the kitchen. She put the food in the fridge, then went back into the living and sank onto the couch; the dishes could wait until the morning. She stared at her phone and dashed off a quick text to Kouga, letting him know she was home. She thought about class the next day. She hated to bother Miroku, but it was probably a better option than having Kouga take her. Kagome ground her teeth in frustration. She _could_ just get herself there; it wouldn’t be a problem.

 _Yes_ , she thought, closing her eyes and starting to doze, the whiskey and food kicking in. _There won’t be any problems_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What will Inuyasha find at the crime scene? Will Kagome tell him they are soulmates? (Not if she can help it, lol.) Thanks so much for reading; I really hope you enjoyed it, and would love to hear your thoughts ^_^ 
> 
> See you at the next update!


	5. Shimbashi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha and Sango check out the crime scene. They are shocked by what they find.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you are safe and well.
> 
> Thanks so much for your kudos and comments on this story! I have really been plugging away, and I hope you enjoy what I have planned for the coming chapters. 
> 
> CW: description of dead body in chapter.

Inuyasha met Sango at the crime scene in Shimbashi. She looked pissed.

“What’s the story, Murasaki?” he asked her grimly.

“I’m here at fucking midnight,” she hissed, “instead of at home. That’s the story.”

Inuyasha thought about what—about _who_ —he’d just left, and he felt a growl starting in his chest. “Tell me about it,” he rumbled.

“We’ve just been putting in too many hours; we need a break.” Sango tightened her long brown ponytail and sighed.

Inuyasha looked around. The neighborhood was relatively quiet for Shimbashi at midnight. Usually the salarymen who frequented the restaurants and the bars would be dashing to catch the train home, but this street seemed eerily empty. They were behind one of the more popular restaurants in the neighborhood; the call had come in from one of the waitresses who had taken out the garbage at the end of the night and seen an arm sticking out from among the bags in the dumpster.

“We’re taking her out now, Matsushita,” said one of his officers.

Inuyasha grunted an affirmative and went to stand by the dumpster to watch, Sango at his side. Two members of the investigative unit were in the dumpster, wearing hazmat suits. They had wrapped the body up and were now lifting it carefully out, passing it off to two other members, also in hazmat suits. Inuyasha and Sango watched as the body was lain gently on a gurney.

“Is she ready?” asked a voice from behind them.

Inuyasha and Sango turned to see the medical examiner coming up behind them, face mask on, gloves snapping around his wrists. “Hojo,” said Inuyasha shortly.

Hojo smiled wanly. “Good to see you both, Matsushita, Murasaki,” he replied. Sango nodded in response. Hojo looked down at the body. “Shall we take a look at our victim?” he asked. Inuyasha grunted again in response.

Hojo unzipped the body bag. What they saw horrified them all. The body was shrunken and a ghastly, inhuman shade of beige; the eyes, dark brown, were frozen open in horror.

“What—is that?” Sango asked in a soft voice.

“Exsanguination, perhaps?” Hojo observed.

“Like a fucking vampire would do?” Inuyasha asked. Hojo nodded.

“We’ll have to do some testing to confirm,” Hojo added. “But honestly, I can’t think of anything else that would have that kind of effect on a body.”

“How can we get an ID?” Sango asked, wrinkling her nose a little at the sight of the victim. She’d seen a lot of bodies in her work with the NPA, but nothing like this. Ever.

Hojo paused, pulling out his notepad. “I think it might be best if we try and match dental records,” he said after a moment. “We don’t know who this is, and I would hate to drag in a bunch of people to try and identify a body in this state.”

“Will you be able to tell us cause of death, and when, and everything else?” Inuyasha asked.

Hojo nodded. “I’ll take the body down to the medical examiner’s office now. I’ll call as soon as I know something.”

“Thanks, Hojo,” Inuyasha said. Hojo nodded again and took the body away on the gurney.

Sango and Inuyasha watched the ambulance pull away, then turned to the crime scene. They walked up to the nearest officer. “Is the witness still here?” Inuyasha asked her.

The officer looked up at him, surprised. “She’s in the restaurant still,” the officer—Ito Shiori was her name—replied. “Her name’s Sakai. Sakai Tomoko.”

“Thanks,” Inuyasha said brusquely. He turned to Sango. “Let’s go.” She nodded and followed him.

The restaurant was small, and dimly lit. There was a long wooden bar, with several booths situated behind it. The restaurant couldn’t have seated more than twenty people. The waitress who discovered the body was sitting in one of the booths, a man beside her, his arm around her shoulders. She looked young—Inuyasha thought perhaps she could be a college student. It was clear she had been crying.

“Sakai-san?” Sango said gently as the two detectives approached. The waitress looked up at them. Inuyasha was struck by her large, dark eyes; they were widened in horror, most likely by what she had seen. “I’m Detective Murasaki, and this is Detective Matsushita. We’re with the NPA’s Criminal Defense Bureau.” Sango flashed her badge; Sakai nodded. “We’d like to ask you some questions.”

“I don’t see why Tomoko has to answer any questions for you,” the man beside her said harshly. “She already answered all the questions the other officers asked her.”

“We’re from the Criminal Defense Bureau,” Sango explained again. “We may have different questions for Sakai-san.”

“You can get the answers she gave from the other officers,” the man said stubbornly. “I want to take her home.”

“Then you’re prolonging your ability to do so, sir,” Inuyasha jumped in fiercely. “Not to mention the fact that you’re interfering with a criminal investigation.”

“She already answered the questions,” the man repeated.

 _Probably her boss. Maybe her lover_. “And you would be…?”

“Takao Daisuke,” came the curt reply. “I own this place.”

“So do we need to get a warrant to search the restaurant, Takao-san?” asked Inuyasha sharply. “Is there something you’re hiding?”

Takao looked confused.

“There must be a reason you don’t want us questioning your employee,” Inuyasha continued. “One could only conclude that she knows something you don’t want us to know.”

Takao and Sakai exchanged a look. “No,” she said tearfully, “no. I will answer your questions. We—I have nothing to hide.”

Inuyasha and Sango slid into the booth across from Takao and Sakai. “Thank you for agreeing to talk with us, Sakai-san,” said Sango carefully. “We understand this is a difficult situation, and we all do want the same thing here, I would hope.”

“And what’s that?” Takao asked rudely.

“Why, to identify the body and catch the person who did this?” replied Sango, surprised.

“Oh.” Takao settled down, but Inuyasha noticed that he tightened his grip on Sakai. _Definitely lovers_.

“So, Sakai-san,” Sango said. “Can you tell us how you found the body?”

Sakai gulped nervously. Inuyasha sat up a little straighter, his eyes fully on her.

“Ye—es,” she said slowly. Takao visibly squeezed her shoulders. “I was—taking out the garbage,” she said. “When I put the garbage in the dumpster, I noticed something that looked…like an arm. A _human_ arm,” she said, inhaling deeply.

Inuyasha took note of the shift in her heartbeat, of the way she wasn’t looking Sango directly in the eye, of the slight change in her scent. She was nervous; she was scared.

“Do you take out the garbage every night, Sakai-san?” Inuyasha asked her suddenly.

Sakai’s gaze shifted from Sango to Inuyasha. “I don’t work every night,” she replied defensively.

“But when you do,” Sango added, “is taking out the garbage one of your duties?”

Sakai looked at Takao. He nodded. She looked back at Sango and Inuyasha.

“Yes,” she said, now not meeting their eyes.

Sango glanced at Inuyasha. He sensed her looking at him, but kept his gaze on Sakai.

“And you take out the garbage alone, Sakai-san?” he asked carefully.

“I do,” she said.

 _Lie_.

“Are you sure?” he asked. She nodded again, but this time, she looked scared.

Inuyasha nudged Sango under the table. “Takao-san,” he said, standing, “can you come check out the crime scene with me? I’d like to get your opinion on a few things that we found out there.”

“I don’t think my employee should be alone,” Takao said immediately.

“She will be fine, Takao-san,” Sango said smoothly. “I promise not to interrogate her too harshly. I really only just have a few questions, and then she is free to go.”

Takao looked like he wanted to protest, but Inuyasha’s intense gaze caused him to hold his tongue. He rose, and followed Inuyasha outside.

Once they were safely out of human earshot, Inuyasha heard Sango ask the girl, “So, do you want to tell me what _really_ happened out there?” He smiled grimly to himself.

* * *

“Good job tonight, Matsushita,” Sango said to her partner as she dropped him off at his apartment. “We got the body hopefully ID’d, and we arrested a rapist.”

“I knew there was something off about that fucking guy,” Inuyasha growled.

“Smart thinking to get me alone with the girl,” Sango complimented him. “As soon as we were alone, she told me everything.”

Apparently, the owner had been taking his (much younger) waitress out back, under the guise of “taking out the garbage,” for weeks, and coercing her into sex. Because he was her boss, she didn’t know what to do. She was, in fact, a college student, and desperately needed the money to stay in school. If she turned him down, he not only threatened to fire her, but would make sure she was black-listed from all the restaurants and bars in the area. She needed a job close to home; she would never be able to go to school and work, and manage the commute. Once they had the girl’s statement, they were able to arrest him _and_ get more information on the body. They learned that the girl had, in fact, seen the arm, but because she was “indisposed,” she was unable to alert the authorities until much later. They would have to wait for Hojo’s report on the body’s identity, time and cause of death, and everything else.

“Get some sleep, Matsushita,” Sango said. “And try not to worry about Kagome.”

Inuyasha paused, the car door halfway open. “Why would I worry about her?”

Sango snickered. “Miroku told me that you walked her home tonight.”

“Only because your idiot husband texted to say she was going to walk home alone!” Inuyasha growled. “She shouldn’t be doing that.”

“I agree with you,” Sango placated him. “And I also agree that you could be a much better option for her than Kouga. He has wanted more than friendship from her for a long time, but she’s not going to give that to him.”

“Why the fuck not?” Inuyasha asked rudely, his curiosity getting the better of his manners.

“Oh, look at the time!” Sango said, shoving him out of the car. “I’ll see you in the morning. Again, try and get some sleep.”

“But what about…” Sango pulled the passenger side door shut and zoomed away before he could repeat his question.

 _Damn_! He swore silently as he stalked up the steps to his apartment. Something was going on with the Higurashi woman, something that no one wanted to tell him about, her included. Inuyasha unlocked his apartment door and stepped inside, removing his shoes in the genkan. He padded into the kitchen; it was almost three in the morning, but fuck it all, he was hungry. He opened the fridge and pulled out the leftovers he’d made a few nights before: oyakodon and rice. He put a few drops of water in the rice container, then popped it and the oyakodon in the microwave. Oyakdon was much better reheated on the cooker, but he couldn’t be bothered to get out everything he needed to recook it. He grabbed some chopsticks out of the drawer. When the microwave dinged, he took his meal out, dumping the oyakodon into the rice container. He reached back in the fridge and pulled out a can of tea. He cracked open the tea, and then proceeded to dig into his meal, making loud noises as he ate.

The whole time, his thoughts churned between the dead body they’d found that night and the miko whose apartment he’d just left a few hours before. It was unreasonable for him to feel attached to her: he knew this. They’d only met a few times. But, fuck it all, he was feeling an incredible fear that she could be next, that whoever was kidnapping mikos could easily take her. Her protests that she was strong did nothing to assuage his concerns. Instead, her strength made him worry even more. Her aura stood out, unlike any he’d ever seen: a beautiful, vibrant, magenta color that drew him in and blanketed him in warmth and comfort. The thought made Inuyasha choke on his oyakodon.

 _Fuck_ ; he sounded like a fucking fool. It was this kind of thinking that had gotten him into trouble before, with Kikyo. He’d been so drawn to her aura he hadn’t stopped to think about who the aura belonged to. As beautiful and warm as her aura had been, Kikyo had lulled him into a false sense of security, only to break his heart when he was ready to lay it all on the line for her. He shoved more food into his mouth to distract him from his thoughts.

He was now sorely tempted to get a beer out of the fridge, but a quick look at his phone told him it was closing in on four in the morning. If he wanted to get a few hours of sleep before heading to the station, he needed to have a clear head. Even if it meant that _she_ filled his head and his dreams.

Inuyasha sighed, finishing off his oyakodon. He was so, so fucked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick note on Inuyasha's late-night snack: Oyakodon literally translates to "parent and child bowl," but in this case, it's a chicken and egg bowl that is one of the quintessential Japanese meals. It's chicken, egg, sliced scallion, and often other ingredients, cooked together as a soup and served over rice. Yum!
> 
> What will Inuyasha and Sango learn about the victim they've just found? What will Inuyasha learn about Kagome and her abilities? Find out in the next update, and as always, thanks so much for reading!


	6. Seiki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha and Sango learn more about the body that was found the night before, and are perplexed and horrified. Inuyasha tries to learn more about Kagome.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you're safe and well.
> 
> Thank you SO much for all the kudos, bookmarks, and comments on this story! I am so happy that you're enjoying it. I am having so much fun writing!
> 
> This week, I am posting Chapters 6 and 7. They're both short little chapters, but I didn't feel that they belonged in one chapter. So you get both today! ^_^
> 
> CW: There is description and discussion of a dead body in this chapter.

Inuyasha arrived at the station the next morning exhausted. He’d barely slept. It had taken him until almost five to finally pass out, and his alarm went off at 6:30 for him to get to the station by eight. He’d dragged himself out of bed, blearily walked through a shower, and was lucky to be wearing clothes that basically matched. When Sango handed him a cup of coffee as he sat at his desk, he accepted gratefully.

“Any news from Hojo?” he asked her.

Sango sat at her desk beside his and shook her head. “Not yet. I think they’re waiting on those dental records. Then they’ll notify us and the family.”

Inuyasha put his coffee down and rested his head in his hands.

“Tough night?” she asked him.  
  
“For both of us,” he said.

Sango frowned.

“What is it?” he asked her.

“Just…” she paused, trying to sort through her thoughts. “It has to be one of the mikos, don’t you think, Matsushita?”

He nodded. “How many cases of missing women are there in the city?” he reasoned.

“So many,” Sango said, “but I just suspect this was the Sendai miko.”

“She seemed to fit the age description,” Inuyasha commented.

“She did,” Sango said.

They were both silent for a long moment.

“So, why won’t Higurashi pursue anything with the wolf?” Inuyasha finally asked. The question had been burning away at him, since Sango had refused to answer it the night (morning, really) before.

Sango burst into peals of laughter at his sudden change of subject. “You like her!”

Inuyasha growled at her. “I’m just curious, Murasaki,” he grumbled. Sango continued to laugh. “You could have _told_ me, instead of pushing me out of the car last night! _Fuck_.”

Sango wiped away tears of amusement. “If you get to know her well enough, you’ll probably find out why yourself,” she chuckled. “It’s complicated—actually, scratch that. It’s not complicated. Kagome just makes it that way.” Sango started laughing again.

Inuyasha slunk down in his seat, his ears flat against his head, his youki curling in on itself to protect him. Was everyone around him a fucking idiot?

“Matsushita, Murasaki,” said one of the officers whose name neither of them recognized, “the boss wants to see you.”

Inuyasha and Sango rose, exchanging worried glances. They made their way down the hall to the Chief’s office.

Chief Totosai was an ancient youkai, one of the youkai founders of the NPA’s Criminal Affairs Bureau, and an old friend of Inuyasha’s father. When Inuyasha had made the decision to leave the Matsushita family, after his father died, Totosai suggested the police academy, and mentored him as he rose through the ranks, eventually settling at the NPA, working directly under Totosai in Criminal Affairs. While Totosai was old, gruff, and rude, he was a lot like Inuyasha (minus the “old” part); Inuyasha liked his mentor/friend/boss, even if very few others did. After years and years of failed partnerships, disciplinary actions, and suspensions, it had been Totosai who had the brilliant idea of pairing Inuyasha with Sango; she put up with Inuyasha’s bullshit and gave it as good as he did. _Thank the fucking gods for Totosai._

But, it was seldom that Totosai called _anyone_ to his office, preferring instead to unleash his, um, _personality_ , on the masses all at once during meetings. People who were called to see him individually generally got their asses handed to them.

Inuyasha smartly rapped on Totosai’s door; they heard a gruff “come in” and entered the office. It was small, and cluttered with books and file cabinets, some of them bursting with paperwork. Totosai sat behind his desk, the glow from his computer casting an eerie light in the room.

“Matsushita. Muraski,” he said abruptly. “Come in. And close the door.”

Sango and Inuyasha entered the office; Sango shut the door behind them. Totosai motioned for them to have a seat; they sat quietly as he shuffled through some paperwork.

“The body that was brought in last night,” Totosai commented at last, causing Inuyasha and Sango to look up in surprise with how suddenly her spoke. “It was the miko from Sendai.”

Sango’s mouth dropped open while Inuyasha growled slightly in acknowledgement.

“Her name,” added Totosai, “was Tanaka Aiko. She’d lived alone at her shrine for a number of years. Her immediate family lives in Shiogama and couldn’t make it all the way to Tokyo to identify the body. Her parents are elderly, and her sister is married with several children. So we had to get her dental records to confirm her identity. The medical examiner’s office is listing the official cause of death as asphyxiation, but Hojo would like to talk with you both about what happened to her body.” Totosai grimaced. “Matsushita, you and I have been doing this a long time. I promise you’ve never seen anything like it.”

Sango paled and Inuyasha blanched.

“What, exactly, are we going to find?” Inuyasha asked slowly.

Totosai rose from behind his desk and went to the office door. “Go to the medical examiner’s office,” he said. “You’ll see what Hojo has to say.” He paused. “I also need to see your report on that string of robberies at tech companies by the end of the day. Matsushita, have you been to see your brother?”

“ _Half_ -brother. And, yesterday, sir,” Inuyasha replied curtly.

“And?”

“He’s agreed to do some asking around for us. He’ll be in touch. I’ll put it all in the report.”

Totosai nodded and opened the door to his office. “I’ll look forward to that at the end of the day.” He held the door as Inuyasha and Sango walked out.

“I guess it’s down to see Hojo and find out what he’s learned?” Sango said, leading the way down the hall.

Inuyasha was silent. He’d never seen Totosai so worried before. His mentor was right; they’d been alive a long time, and seen a lot of things, so for this to upset him…Inuyasha frowned at what they might find.

The medical examiner’s office was in the basement of the NPA building. Each step towards the elevator leading downstairs filled Inuyasha with dread. Sango tread lightly beside him, her breathing coming in huffs that belied the ease of her steps. Her scent was laced with anticipation and fear. Totosai’s warning had left them both really, really, fucking nervous.

When they reached the elevator, Sango pressed the button. The doors opened and they stepped inside. She pressed the button for the basement, and as the doors closed, she looked at Inuyasha. He knew they were thinking about the same thing. Well, the same person, anyway.

 _Kagome_.

And how she could be next.

Hojo was waiting for them when the elevator doors opened. He looked exhausted; dark circles decorated his cheeks under his eyes, and his hair was unkempt and greasy. He smiled grimly.

“Murasaki. Matsushita,” he said.

“Hojo,” replied Inuyasha, bobbing his head politely. “We heard you found something… interesting…with the miko.”

Hojo’s normally impassive face was a mixture of jumbled and shifting emotions. “Follow me,” he said in a strangled tone, and he led the way down the hall to one of the exam rooms. Sango and Inuyasha followed, exchanging concerned looks along the way. When they reached the examination room, Hojo unlocked the door—Inuyasha was surprised that he’d done so in the first place—and then held the door open for Sango and Inuyasha.

The body was covered with a plastic sheet, as was customary. Inuyasha could see the toe tag hanging off the victim’s right big toe. But even with just that little bit of the victim’s body visible, like the previous night when they had found the body, Inuyasha knew that something was very, very, wrong.

“So,” Hojo said, clearing his throat nervously, “first you should know that what we called exsanguination at the crime scene…it wasn’t exactly right. And the cause of death as asphyxiation, is also not quite right. Although this victim certainly did lose the ability to breathe.”

“What the fuck does that even mean?” exclaimed Inuyasha in a shocked tone.

Hojo took his clipboard from the desk beside the exam table and flipped through several pages of notes. “As you will see,” he said, removing the plastic sheet from the victim, the body certainly _looks_ as though it was exsanguinated.”

Sango gasped and Inuyasha clenched his fists so tightly his claws drew his own blood.

“Holy gods,” Sango whispered.

“It’s like the body’s been shrunk,” Inuyasha murmured in horror.

That’s exactly what it was like. Inuyasha had suggested this the night before, but now, against the soft glow of the fluorescent lighting, they could see just how accurate his observation was. They could tell that the victim’s body had once been much larger, but that her—insides—looked to have been completely sucked out. The skin was stretched over the victim’s bones, turned the odd beige color they’d seen the night before. Most of the hair had fallen out, and what was left was short and frizzed, as though with age, although the victim was only in her mid-40s. The cheeks of the face were totally sunken in, and Inuyasha and Sango could see the victim’s teeth protruding over her lips, which had been peeled away. The body itself was tiny and sunken; Inuyasha could see the victim’s ribs and hips poking through the skin. The fingers were little more than skin stretched over gnarled bones. Dark bruising mottled the skin’s surface where blood had pooled, in some places making concentric circles across the legs, arms, and torso. It was gruesome, even for Inuyasha.

What the _fuck_ had happened to her?

Inuyasha knew that yuki-onna had once existed and taken the form of snow vampires, sucking out the _seiki_ , or life essence, of their victims. Could that be what this was?

“Matsushita,” said Hojo, “you look like you have some ideas. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“So—the victim still has her blood?” Inuyasha asked in a low voice.

“She does,” answered Hojo, looking surprised. “So you know this is not exsanguination.”

“But what I’m thinking of should now only be legend and myth,” Inuyasha replied. “There’s absolutely no fucking way that they exist now. And definitely not at this time of year.”

“That what exist now, Matsushita?” asked Sango.

“Yuki-onna,” replied Inuyasha. “Female youkai who wander in blizzards, usually in forests, looking to feed off humans. They don’t drink blood, but rather life force.” He looked at Sango and Hojo. “The location is right, sort of. Sendai is north. But it hasn’t snowed there yet this year. And the victim’s shrine was in the city, not out in the woods somewhere.” He frowned. “It doesn’t make any damn sense. If there were a yuki-onna wandering out there, at the very least, the wolf or my bastard half-brother would know about it. The Lords try to contain any kind of really evil shit now, with the Treaty in place.”

“Matsushita,” said Hojo, “what makes you think the victim’s life essence was drained?”

Inuyasha thought for a moment. “She still has blood, correct?” Hojo nodded. “So not exsanguination. But she’s—she’s—” he was having trouble expressing what he was seeing “—so _shrunken_. It’s like something has to be missing from her.” He paused and closed his eyes. “I feel nothing radiating from her. No reiki, no aura…not even a little.” He looked at Hojo. “Would that be possible after a miko’s death? To feel their aura still?”

“Typically, yes,” Hojo said. “A spiritualist’s body will still carry the essence of the individual’s powers for some time after death. It’s to allow the soul time to safely ascend or be reincarnated, whatever is designated as its next step by the gods. In this case, though…you’re right. From what we can tell, there’s no trace of any kind of spiritual aura. It’s like this person was never a miko. At all.”

Sango’s face pursed in confusion. “So then it was the victim’s spirituality that was taken?”

Hojo frowned. “That’s what it seems like? But spiritualist deaths are not my forte. I’ve got my team doing some research. We’ll know more hopefully by the end of the day.”

Inuyasha sighed and rubbed his temples. They needed a spiritual advisor on this case.

“You can also see…here,” Hojo said, gesturing to her arms.

Track lines.

“And here,” he added, gesturing to a spot just below her right clavicle. Inuyasha and Sango came closer to the victim and peered at her throat.

“A wound?” Sango observed.

“Almost like she’d been sliced open to have something either put in or taken out,” Hojo said. “But there’s nothing under the skin. So that was a dead end.”

Inuyasha was silent, thinking. Sango cleared her throat.

“Can you get me a copy of that report when you’re done, Hojo?” Sango asked. “I’ll put it with the rest of our intel on the missing—and now dead—mikos.”

“Sure thing,” Hojo said, pulling the sheet back up over the body.

Inuyasha and Sango left the examiner’s office, rattled by what they’d seen. If the missing mikos were being drained of something—life essence, spirituality, or something else—why?

They returned to their desks, still mulling over the events of the morning. Inuyasha couldn’t help it; his mind kept going back to Kagome. She ran a fucking spiritual school, after all.

“Murasaki,” he said, turning to Sango. “Higurashi says that she’s really powerful. Is that true?”

Sango snorted. “Are you kidding? She’s one of the strongest mikos in the country. Her family’s shrine is one of the top wedding venues in the greater Tokyo area, and until she and Miroku opened the school, she was teaching classes there. Kouga consulted her extensively as part of the negotiations for the Human-Youkai Treaty. She’s well-respected in the spiritual community.” She smirked. “You should Google her.”

“What the fuck, Murasaki!” Inuyasha exclaimed. “I’m not gonna do that!”

Sango continued to snicker softly. “She asked me if we could bring her in as a consultant on the case,” Inuyasha added hurriedly. “If I wanted to broach the subject with Totosai, I would have to know her qualifications.”

Sango rolled her eyes. “Trust me,” she said. “Kagome? She’s qualified.” She leveled her gaze at him. “You’re a detective. Do some detecting.”

Inuyasha growled and snapped his laptop open. He opened up his report on the robberies, but brought up his Web browser and typed her name into the search engine. What he saw astonished him.

Deciding to bypass all the news articles, Inuyasha clicked on her profile with the Spiritualist Society, the main spiritualist organization in the country. He read through her biography eagerly: graduate of Kyoto University’s School of Spiritualism, holding degrees in Healing and Reiki Manipulation. She had an advanced degree in Defensive Reiki from Tokyo University, and had been an instructor there before becoming an independent scholar at the Higurashi Shrine, one of the top wedding venues and sites for spiritual study in the greater Tokyo area. Her biography also detailed her work on the Human-Youkai Treaty, and listed a number of publications, largely focusing on defensive reiki and human-youkai relations.

The rest he knew. She and Miroku started their school, and as the Human-Youkai Treaty began to go into effect, their school—one of the few in the country—had taken off. Their school was highly successful and she was clearly a big reason why.

Inuyasha sat back, thinking carefully about what he had just learned. Clearly, Kagome was an important member of the spiritual community. That either made her a prime target or off-limits; she might be too famous to kidnap. Plus, her relationship with the youkai Lord of the East, Kouga, gave her added protection.

On a whim, he began to research the other mikos who had vanished, as well as Tanaka Aiko, who had already turned up dead. All of them except for the 18-year old were registered with the Spiritual Society; none of them were as famous or had as much ability (so it seemed) as Kagome, although they were all well-respected mikos in their own right. The only one that came close was Ishikawa Ayumi, from the Ishikawa Shrine in Kanda, who had taken some of Kagome’s classes at the Higurashi Shrine, according to her education bio.

Inuyasha slammed the laptop shut and thought hard. Why would these be the mikos targeted? What did they all have in common?

He looked at the clock; already noon. If he wanted to have the report to Totosai and pick up Kagome at the school by 8:30, he had a lot of work ahead of him. He groaned.

“Sango,” he said to his partner, “if I give you my credit card, will you go out and get us some lunch? That report on the robberies is going to take all fucking day.”

* * *

Yamamoto Sara sighed. It had been a long day; there were police coming and going all afternoon, checking in to make sure that she was okay (which she was), and that she hadn’t been approached by anyone suspicious (she had not). Her family’s temple in Sumida, while not elaborate, was homey and comfortable for her and those who chose to worship at the temple. But the constant police presence was infuriating, and was keeping her regular worshipers away. She couldn’t wait for all this “missing miko” nonsense to end, and for her life to go back to normal.

Sara went about her normal activities when closing up the shrine. She swept the courtyard; she closed up the gift stand; she went into the honden to make sure nothing was disturbed. Sara checked the container holding the shrine’s sacred mirror; everything seemed in order.

A series of footsteps sounded at the haiden. Sara finished up in the honden and rushed out through the heiden to see who was there, calling out, “Sorry! We’re closing up now.”

She looked around by the haiden, but didn’t see anyone. “Weird,” she muttered. Sara was sure she’d heard someone, too.

The footsteps now sounded over by the gift stand. “Hello?” she called out. “We’re closing up!”

Dead silence. Sara shook her head. She was hearing things; yes, that must be it.

Sara went back into the courtyard and gathered up her cleaning supplies. She was so occupied with her own thoughts she never saw the hands reaching for her. She never saw the chloroform rag cover her face. Yamamoto Sara only saw darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick note on the structure of Shinto shrines:
> 
> Sara is in the honden, or sanctuary, when she hears sounds from the haiden, or oratory. The honden is the inner part of the shrine, where the shrine's sacred object would be kept. It's generally at the back of the shrine property and closed to the public. The haiden is a larger building, and connected to the honden by a heiden, or offering hall. Sara would have had to go through the heiden to get back to the haiden, which is why she can't see who is there.
> 
> Thanks everyone for reading! I will post the next chapter soon.


	7. Fighting Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha tells Kagome about the missing miko, and tries to argue when she offers to help. Kagome tries to deny her attraction to Inuyasha.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! As promised, here's the next chapter. More quality InuKag time is afoot, as Kagome tries to reconcile her growing feelings for Inuyasha. Please enjoy!

Kagome sat in the office, going over her books, making sure all her paying students were regularly attending class. Miroku had already left for the day, citing Sango’s hectic work schedule, so once Kaede wrapped up her last class, Kagome was all alone. She insisted to Kouga that she’d be fine, that she had an escort home, and even though she knew why he was copping such an attitude about that, she couldn’t help but be a little annoyed. Her patience for his clinginess only went so far.

Yet despite her feelings towards Kouga, she had to admit that hiring him was a genius idea. She’d fielded a few phone calls from concerned parents during the day, and when she assured them that the youkai Lord of the East was checking students in and out, the enthusiasm she heard gave her confidence. With Kouga, Miroku, Kaede, and herself watching out for the students, they would be well-protected.

Kagome sighed. The phone calls from the parents were only one of her worries that day. She kept getting phone calls from the Spiritualist Society, asking her to come to a meeting about the missing mikos. Yes, it was true that Kagome had advised Kouga on the Human-Youkai Treaty, but at this point, she considered her political career over. She was happy running her school; she was happy training the next generation of spiritualists. She didn’t want to go to meetings; she didn’t want to serve on any boards. The school kept her busy enough.

Her phone pinged and she looked to see who was texting her.

_Outside waiting._

She sighed again.

_Just finishing up. Give me two minutes._

Kagome _hated_ the idea of a police escort. Absolutely _hated_ it. She knew she was powerful; she could clearly hold her own against any youkai. Her ideas on training spiritualists had helped shape some of the more important parts of the Human-Youkai Treaty. No one was going to mess with her.

And yet, Inuyasha had been so clearly worried about her the night before. Did he not know who she was? Did he not understand how spiritual powers worked? That she could turn any youkai within fifty feet to ash if she so desired? That he should be worried about literally every other miko in the country _except_ for her?

Kagome gathered up her ledgers and her laptop and slipped them into her duffel bag. There would be plenty of time to have this discussion on the way home. She just hoped the detective was hungry; she had ordered takeout from a ramen shop close to her apartment.

When she paused to lock the doors, she noticed that he was once again leaning against the building, his arms crossed, watching her with that self-assured smirk that she either wanted to smack or kiss. The fact that she couldn’t figure out which she wanted to do made her even grumpier.

“Good day?” he asked her, still smirking.

“Not the worst,” she replied, trying not to be sour, tucking her keys in the front pocket of her duffel. She walked past him and he fell into step beside her.

“I ordered takeout from a ramen shop about a block from my apartment,” she said. “Do you want to stay?” She smiled slowly. “We can get some beer, too.”

Inuyasha laughed loudly. “Do you drink every night after work?”

Kagome shrugged. “It helps me unwind.”

Inuyasha considered this woman walking next to him. She was wearing her red velvet coat again, the collar turned up to prevent the chill in the November air from getting to her. She had her hair in a thick French braid tonight; it was becoming on her, the softness of the hold of the braid framing her lovely face. Her cheeks were pink with cold, but her blue-gray eyes were alert, taking in everything around her. Her aura seemed a little darker that evening; perhaps she was tired. Her days were just as long as his.

When Kagome ducked into the ramen shop to pick up their takeout, Inuyasha went into convenience store across the street and picked up a six-pack of Yebisu. If they were going to have beer, he reasoned, it should at least be good.

They walked the last block to her apartment in companionable silence, the smell of the ramen making Inuyasha’s stomach growl. They went into the lobby; once again, Kagome checked her mail, and then they climbed the steps to the third story of her building. Kagome led the way; Inuyasha felt flush from the sweetness of her scent cascading over him: lavender and vanilla, two of his favorites. He had to hold onto the staircase railing to keep his balance.

“Are you okay?” she asked when they got to her floor and she saw him swaying a bit.

“Fine,” he grunted. “Let’s keep moving.”

Kagome shrugged and went down the hall to her apartment. She pulled her keys from the front pocket of her duffel, then unlocked the door and gave it a shove to get inside.

“Hello, Buyo,” she crooned, kicking off her flats. Inuyasha followed suit, removing his black leather shoes. She went into the washitsu and set their dinner on the chabudai. “Beers go in the fridge,” she called out to Inuyasha, “but you can crack open two if you want.”

Inuyasha went into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door. What he saw shocked him.

“Fucking hell, Higurashi!” he exclaimed. “Do you _ever_ eat at home?” Except for some bottled water, some beer, and leftover takeout, the fridge was completely empty.

“Not if I can help it,” she replied. “I’m a terrible cook.”

“Tomorrow night I will bring you dinner,” he said, popping the caps off two beers and putting the rest in the fridge. “I’ll make it.”

“You cook?” she said, surprised, as he brought the beers into the washitsu.

“I’ve been told I’m quite good at it,” he answered easily, handing her a beer.

She frowned and took a sip. “You cook for other people a lot?”

His beer stopped halfway to his lips. “Not…not lately,” he said simply, not meeting her gaze.

Kagome set down her beer and opened up the takeout bag. “I got four bowls,” she said. “I didn’t know what you’d like.”

“I eat just about anything,” he told her, “except curry. Too spicy.”

She nodded: inu youkai sensibilities. “You have delicate taste buds.”

“I do.”

They sat and ate silently for several minutes, enjoying the heat of the broth and the tastiness of the noodles, the vegetables, the egg, and the proteins.

Inuyasha felt like pulling his hair out. He was torn between telling her everything that he’d learned today about the missing miko, and telling her nothing. He knew that Sango was probably spilling the details of the case to Miroku, and then Kagome’d hear about it by extension at the school tomorrow. If he could cut out the middleman, so to speak, and tell her directly, he knew that was best. He just didn’t know how she was going to react.

“Do you—do you have any of that whiskey still?” he asked her.

Kagome stared at him. “I didn’t drink the whole bottle last night, if that’s what you’re implying.”

He stood up. “You do like to drink.” He went into the kitchen, ignoring the daggers her eyes were flinging at his back. He started opening cabinets until he found the one with the whiskey. Inuyasha pulled it out, along with two glasses. If he was gonna tell her, he needed liquid strength. So did she.

Inuyasha returned to the chabudai and poured out a finger of whiskey into each glass. He looked at how much that actually was, nodded to himself, then poured another finger in Kagome’s glass.

“Hey!” she shouted. “I’m not going to drink all that!”

“You might when you hear what I have to tell you,” he said.

Kagome stilled. “What did you find out?” she asked him.

“We found a body last night. You know that.” She nodded. “Did the monk tell you anything today?”

“I—we didn’t have much time for small talk today,” she replied, confused. “Was it one of the mikos?”

“It was,” he confirmed. She sucked in a breath, then took a generous sip of whiskey.

“Who?” she asked.

“Her name was Tanaka Aiko. 45 years old, from Sendai. She was unmarried and lived alone at her family shrine.”

Inuyasha could hear the panic starting in Kagome’s breath. It was coming shorter, in quick puffs of air, as she tried to get a hold of herself. Her pupils were dilated. She closed her eyes; Inuyasha could tell she was drawing into herself for strength. Her aura glowed around her, still a dusky rose instead of bright magenta.

“You know her?” he asked.

Kagome gave a tiny, imperceptible, nod. “I met her several times. Very sweet, strong reiki, well-respected in Sendai. And by me.” The last sentence was basically a whisper.

Inuyasha nodded sympathetically, then watched her eyes blink several times, coming in and out of focus. He’d been an idiot to give her whiskey.

“Has her family been notified?” Kagome asked softly. Inuyasha offered a curt nod. She sighed. “I guess that’s good,” she added, her voice quavering. “They don’t have to worry about what happened to her anymore.” She sighed and closed her eyes, as if to try and gain some strength; Inuyasha picked up on her rapidly fading reiki.

“You’re tired,” he said.

Her eyes snapped open. “I’m sorry?”

“Your—” he gestured around himself “—aura, just now. It’s weak. You’re tired. We shouldn’t talk about this until you’re rested.”

He could tell she was steeling herself; her face was grim and her mouth set in a straight line. “Matsushita-san,” she said carefully, deliberately, “ _what did you find_?”

Inuyasha took a deep breath. “We need a spiritualist to confirm, but it looks like her life essence, or her reiki, or something, was drained from her.”

Kagome’s face paled in horror. She closed her eyes again, took a deep breath, then opened them. “Her reiki was...drained?”

“Maybe? The medical examiner wants to investigate further.” Inuyasha hated talking about police work outside of the office, but he had to make her understand. This was serious.

“I’ll come to the station tomorrow,” she said immediately.

“Like hell you will,” he retorted.

“Don’t be silly,” she shot back. “You need a spiritualist; you’ve got one.” She looked at her phone. “Let’s finish this ramen so we can get to sleep. We’ll have to be up early.”

“ _We_? Am I staying here?” he asked, grinning.

Kagome turned bright red at his comment. She grabbed one of the pillows off the floor and chucked it at him. “Ugh, no!” she yelled. “You know what I mean.”

Inuyasha took a swig of his whiskey. “Since I’d have to pick you up anyway, it makes sense, doesn’t it? Then I don’t have to leave.” His eyes raked over her appraisingly.

Kagome growled—she was actually fucking growling—downed the rest of her whiskey in one shot, and stood up. “Go, stay, I don’t really care,” she muttered. “I’ve had a long day. I’m going to bed.”

“Wait,” he called out to her. She stopped and turned to him.

“I like the left side of the futon,” he said.

Kagome let loose a strangled cry and went into her bedroom, chasing out the cat, and slammed the door shut. Inuyasha laughed and helped himself to more ramen and whiskey. Buyo sauntered over to Inuyasha and meowed plaintively.

“You want some chicken, Buyo?” he murmured affectionately. He plucked some out of his bowl and placed it in the small bowl Kagome kept by the chabudai. Buyo sniffed at the chicken, then began delicately eating it. Inuyasha smiled.

“What is going on with her, huh, kitty?” he asked the cat, gently tickling the scruff of Buyo’s neck.

* * *

Kagome pressed her face into her pillow and let out a silent, but still very violent, scream. How was it possible that this man was her soulmate? While it was true that he was the most handsome man she’d ever seen—human, youkai, hanyou—he was also incredibly insufferable.

 _And incredibly sweet_ , a little voice in the back of her mind reminded her.

She rolled over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. He was still there; her five senses weren’t as keen as his, but she could send out her reiki to detect him, and there he was, in her living room, probably drinking all her whiskey. The worst part was that he kept sending his youki back to her, rubbing up against her reiki, and _gods_ , it felt so fucking divine. Just his youki was making her all warm and tingly. What would it be like to actually have him touch her, like _really_ touch her?

Kagome shook her head vigorously from side-to-side. She couldn’t get distracted. Not now. Not with women’s lives on the line—both the women who were abducted, and the women who could still be abducted. And that included Kagome herself.

Kagome sat up. It was quiet in the living room. _Too_ quiet.

Hesitantly, she sent out her aura.

Just remnants.

He’d left.

Kagome both breathed a sigh of relief and frustration. He was so _infuriating_! Suggesting that they should sleep together! Kagome’s face grew hot at the thought, and she tamped down her emotions quickly, just in case he was still close. She knew that inu youkai were overly protective, fiercely loyal, and super perceptive. Their heightened sense of smell made them excellent lawyers, doctors, and police officers. It was clear why Inuyasha had chosen this particular profession, and why he was so good at it.

However, she also couldn’t deny that his inu youkai traits were part of what drew her to him. Even though she swore up and down that she didn’t need protection, in her heart of hearts, she liked the way that he escorted her home—no fuss, no histrionics, no games. He simply did it, and ignored her protests. She also had to admit she enjoyed his company, even if he drove her insane at times. His easy, lopsided, fanged grin; the way his golden eyes blazed when he looked at her; the gruff edge to his voice; the woodsy, musky smell that enveloped her whenever he was near…she felt a heat in her groin for him that she had never felt before, for anyone, _ever_.

But yet she still worried about her realization that they were, in fact, soulmates. Could she give everything up for a man she’d just met, no matter how much he set her entire being aflame? Could she disobey the gods' decree and resist being with him?

Kagome stretched out her limbs and shifted in her bed. Holy hells, she didn’t think she could. Every moment she spent with him made her want to stretch those moments into hours. And even though she’d flounced out of the washitsu to get away from his insinuations and teasing, truthfully?

 _She liked it_. Gods in heaven forgive her, but she did.

Kagome dozed off with Inuyasha at the forefront of her mind, sensing the remains of his youki in her washitsu and allowing them to comfort her into slumber. Her last conscious thought focused on how she could possibly get through the coming days and weeks without telling him about their true connection.

* * *

“Here’s another one, boss,” said the tall, dark-haired man. His long hair was tied neatly in a braid, and his blue eyes looked at his boss expectantly.

The man he called “boss” looked up from his desk and took the paperwork from his employee. He read over it carefully and sighed. “Another failure, huh?” he commented. His employee nodded once.

“I’m sorry, sir,” his employee said sympathetically. “They just don’t seem to be taking to the testing at all.”

The boss took the paperwork and opened a drawer in his desk. He slid it into a file labeled “Fatalities.” It was rapidly becoming thick. The file in front of it, labeled “Subjects,” had just a few sheets of paper.

The boss sighed. “Give me some time to think. We’ll need to change the calibrations. In the meantime, Bankostu,” he said, looking up at his employee, “you know what to do.”

“On it, boss,” Bankostu replied. “I’ll bring you an update tomorrow.”

His boss ran his hands through his thick, dark, curly hair. He needed a way to get what he wanted, and was quickly running out of options.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will Inuyasha give in and let Kagome help with the investigation? Will she be able to keep her secret much longer? Kagome and Inuyasha will really start to experience the "side effects" of not acknowledging and progressing their connection, starting with the next update!
> 
> As always, thanks everyone for reading. Take care, and see you soon!
> 
> P.S. What is your favorite Japanese beer? Mine is actually Asahi!


	8. Side Effects

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha picks up Kagome on his way to headquarters, and notices she's been...busy. Kagome meets an old friend, and inspects the body. Inuyasha is perplexed by his wide-ranging emotions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime. 
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you are safe and doing well.
> 
> (Side note: we are FINALLY almost done with homeschooling! Huzzah!!!)
> 
> Thank you all, _so much_ , for your bookmarks, kudos, and kind comments. I am so happy that you are enjoying this story as much as I am loving writing it!
> 
> And now, I am thrilled to bring you Chapter 8 of Spirited Soulmates. If you have read my other work, you know that seven chapters is a long time without any sexytimes, so this chapter opens with a lime! There is also discussion/description of a dead body in this chapter. Please enjoy! <3 <3

_Burning. She was burning. She was on fire._

_Hands caressing her lightly, running over her skin, making her tingle. Cupping her breasts, pinching her nipples, tangling in her hair._

_She was moaning something incoherent, trying to reach out for the person who ignited her soul._

_The hands moved languidly down her body, which writhed under their ministrations. They gently soothed her belly, her hips, her thighs. One hand continued its light massage; the other came to rest at the juncture of her thighs. It found her bundle of nerves, that had been hidden away forever from all eyes and hands but her own, and the pad of a finger swept over it deftly, circling the bud. Another finger, then two, pressed into her dripping sex._

_She arched her back and felt blindly for the one who was making her feel all this; the one who was making her feel better than she’d ever felt before. Her body was an ember; the hands were coaxing out the flames._

_But the owner of the hands remained just out of her reach. She tried to open her eyes—tried to see who it was—but the pleasure was such that she kept her eyes squeezed shut as she gasped and cried out, a name she couldn’t quite hear._

_And then, she felt the pressure of lips upon hers, of a body pressed to hers. She felt a chiseled chest, hair tickling her neck, and oh gods, it made her burn even hotter. The fingers continued to stroke and thrust as she bucked and twisted from the pressure._

_A voice said in a low growl, “Come for me, Higurashi.”_

_And she did. A guttural moan escaped her lips as her world came apart for first time from someone else’s touch. She opened her eyes and saw them: eyes the color of honeyed amber, fierce and dazzled with longing for her._

_“Inuyasha!” she cried out. “Inuyasha!”_

* * *

Kagome awoke to a pounding on her door, mirroring the pounding of her heart inside her chest. She sat up, yelling, “Just a minute!” and as she made to get out of bed, she realized that her bedsheet was sopping; her dream had apparently had a very real result.

She paused for a moment on the bed, trying to process what had just happened. She’d had a wet dream—an intense, glorious wet dream—about Matsushita Inuyasha. She felt herself turning red as she slipped her fingers inside her panties, between her thighs. Her legs quivered; how in all the hells was she still sensitive after only a dream? She rested her head in her hands for a moment, taking a deep breath, trying to collect herself.

The banging on the door was getting louder. Or was that her head?

“All _right_!” she bellowed, knocking Buyo off the bed as she stormed to her apartment door. The cat hissed at her and she hissed right back. She flung the door open, and stood stock-still, gasping for air.

Well, fuck. If it wasn’t the object of her dream, standing in front of her, his arms crossed and smirking madly.

“Ya didn’t check the peephole before you opened the door, you know,” he chastised her. He took in her appearance. “Do you always open the door dressed like this?”

“You—what—are you— _what_?” she babbled, not totally sure what was going on.

He stepped past her into the genkan and removed his shoes. He held up a bag and a coffee tray. “I figured that since there is nothing in your fridge, that included breakfast, too,” he said. He stopped and dragged his amber eyes over her body. “Looks like I interrupted something,” he commented, the smirk back.

Kagome looked down at herself; t-shirt, no bra, only panties, the latter of which were clearly soaked through. _Fuck_.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. She wanted to _die_. Crawl into a ditch somewhere, and wait for death to come and take her. Slowly would be fine.

She blinked a couple of times, trying to process. Finally, her eyes met his: blue-gray bore into gold.

“How are you here?” she said, at last able to put together a coherent sentence, even if it was only four words.

Inuyasha set the coffee tray and the bag on her counter. “I rang the buzzer for like fifteen minutes. Finally, a nice old woman came to see what the ruckus was about, and when I flashed my badge, she let me in.”

Kagome rubbed her face with her hands, still coming to grips with his presence in her kitchen. “And so _why_ are you here?”

“You told me you want to help with the police investigation. Did you or did you not suggest that you be allowed to come to the station today?”

“I—what?” she asked.

He leaned forward and peered into her face. “Are you always this incoherent in the morning?” he asked her. “Did you go on a bender or something after I left last night?”

Kagome was about to shove him away from her, but remembered how his body felt against hers in her dream, and jumped in the opposite direction from him instead. “ _I went to sleep_ ,” she muttered.

He laughed. “Great. So you’re fresh for today. Go shower and get dressed. Wear something other than leggings and a tank top.”

“Should I wear my miko robes?” she shot back, infuriated that he was trying to dictate her wardrobe.

He paused and considered that for a moment. “It couldn’t hurt,” he replied. “The captain would really like that.”

“I’m not dressing for your _captain_ ,” she hissed, moving towards him and getting close to his face. The sparks that emitted from her aura caused Inuyasha to take a few steps back. The smirk didn’t fall from his face, though.

“Hurry up, Higurashi,” he said, and her spine quivered when he said her name. She remembered how he asked her to come for him in her dream. “Don’t let the coffee get cold.”

Kagome let out a huff, stormed into her bedroom, and slammed the door. Inuyasha could hear fumbling; at last she exited the bedroom, cast him a glare that could only be construed as furiously half-asleep, and went into the bathroom, where he heard the shower nozzle immediately turn on.

A mewing at his feet drew Inuyasha to look down. There was Buyo, meowing plaintively at him. Inuyasha bent down and scooped him up.

“Doesn’t she pay any attention to you, kitty?” he cooed. Buyo meowed back, a little more forcefully this time. Inuyasha laughed. “Is there any food for you around here?” Still carrying the cat, he opened the cupboard, only to find a generous supply of wet and dry cat food. Inuyasha looked down and scratched Buyo between his ears. “Your owner is a crazy cat lady,” Inuyasha said. “She literally has no food in the house but takeout and cat food.” Buyo meowed in response.

Inuyasha set the cat down and reached into the cupboard, pulling out a can of wet cat food and a bag of dry food. He went into the washitsu and grabbed Buyo’s bowl from where Kagome kept it beside the chabudai, and gave it a quick wash in the sink. Inuyasha wiped it dry with a dish towel, opened the tin of cat food and, pulling a spoon from a drawer, scooped it into the bowl. He then added some dry food for good measure. He took the bowl back into the washitsu and set it next to the chabudai. He stood there for a moment, watching Buyo eat contentedly.

Inuyasha frowned. He’d come into the apartment, only to be hit with a wave of Kagome’s arousal. She’d been doing something in her bedroom before he got there; he was sure of it. She’d opened the door in her pajamas (if one could call a skimpy t-shirt and underwear “pajamas”), and he could clearly see that her panties were wet. But the weird thing was, her arousal spiked when she opened the door. Was she… _touching herself_ …while thinking about him?

He shook his head. _Impossible, Matsushita,_ he told himself. _Get your head out of the fucking gutter. You’re gonna need all your wits about you today_.

“So you’re not only a detective, you’re a cat whisperer, too?” Kagome asked, coming out of the bathroom and towel-drying her hair.

Inuyasha jumped about a kilometer in the air at her sudden appearance. “Did you not sense my aura, detective?” Kagome continued, her blue-gray eyes conveying her amusement. “I thought you said I lit up like a Ferris wheel.”

Inuyasha grumbled something about being lost in thought, which was basically true. He drank her in: her scent, vanilla and lavender, washed over him, heightened because of her shower. She wore tight black pants, a red tank top, and a long, soft, white blazer. Her hair rested in damp curls about her shoulders and cascaded down her back. It looked like she wore just a hint of makeup.

_Perfection._

Once again: he was so, so, fucked.

“Am I appropriate, Matsushita-san?” she asked shyly.

It was Inuyasha’s turn to blink several times. He took a deep breath. “You look—all right,” he said nonchalantly. “Here, drink your coffee.”

He smiled inwardly when he saw the frustration cross her face. She’d clearly dressed up to impress him. He wasn’t going to tell her that it worked.

Kagome crossed to the kitchen and took the coffee marked with her name. She took the lid off, and was surprised to see it was a lovely caramel color.

“You put cream in it for me?” she asked, surprised.

“No sugar,” he said. “I didn’t want to make it too sweet. But hopefully you’re okay with cream?”

He watched as she went into the cupboard and pulled out a sugar bowl, then into the utensil drawer to retrieve a spoon. His face turned shocked, then a little disgusted, when he saw her add four teaspoons of sugar to the coffee.

“That’s—that’s a lot of sugar, Higurashi,” he choked out.

“Kagome stirred her coffee and put the lid back on. She took a sip. “Perfect,” she sighed. Her blue-gray eyes rested questioningly on him. “Sugar in coffee is no good?”

Inuyasha left Buyo in the washitsu and joined her in the kitchen. “I put a sprinkle in mine,” he said. “And just a little cream.”

Kagome wrinkled her nose. “Ugh,” she said, “then why even bother?” She eyed the bag. “What’s in there?”

“Dorayaki.”

Her face lit up. “Really?”

“Really.” Her smile got even bigger and she dug into the bag, pulling out the soft, pancake-like treat and biting into it eagerly. “Hmmm,” she hummed, “Is sweet.”

Inuyasha simply leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms, watching her devour the dorayaki with gusto. He wondered how long it had been since she’d had a proper breakfast.

“So what will we do at the station?” Kagome asked him at last, polishing off the first dorayaki and reaching into the bag for another.

“You're going to help us with the victim,” he told her. “I need someone with spiritual powers to confirm that the miko is, in fact, missing her energy.”

“Anyone with spiritual power who dies should retain their energy for at least 48-72 hours, sometimes more,” Kagome said. “But even if it’s gone, there’s still a residual effect—a shadow of their aura, if you will. If something is there, no matter how slight, I’ll be able to detect it.” She took a sip of her coffee and bit into the second dorayaki.

“You’ve got quite an appetite today, Higurashi,” Inuyasha commented, watching her eat. “Did you have an active morning?”

Her face flew up to meet his while she was in mid-bite; she turned bright red.

“We—we should get going,” she said, putting down the dorayaki and going into the genkan for her coat and flats.

“Don’t forget your breakfast, Higurashi,” Inuyasha said, smirking. Now he was _sure_ that whatever she’d been doing that morning, it involved him. And he would be lying if he said that wasn’t very, _very_ , interesting.

* * *

Kagome had only been to the National Police Agency offices once, when she had to bail Kouga out of jail after he’d been arrested as part of the raid on his club. She remembered the tall, imposing building too well; now that she knew that Inuyasha was part of the reason why Kouga’s club had been raided, she wasn’t entirely sure how to feel. On one hand, she was totally furious that Kouga had been caught up in that raid; on the other, she understood that the NPA’s hands were tied. It wasn’t an easy situation, from whatever angle she looked at it.

“We’re going straight to the medical examiner’s office in the basement,” Inuyasha was saying to her, “and then I’ll take you up to see Captain Totosai. We’ll meet Murasaki downstairs.”

Kagome nodded, her face resolute. She’d blessed plenty of bodies before, but seeing one in the medical examiner’s office was a different situation.

Inuyasha scented her nervousness and made to reach out to her, but her drawn face caused him to pull back, leaving her to her thoughts instead. He led her through the glass doors, showed his ID, signed her in as a guest, and the two of them went through the metal detector, Inuyasha relinquishing his firearm beforehand.

“You—carry—a gun?” Kagome whispered. She knew he was a detective, but still…

“Only while I’m on duty,” he assured her. “I keep it at home in a safe otherwise. It’s against the law for me to carry it any other time.”

He could tell that made her feel a little bit better.

“Come on,” he said, adjusting his gun holster and putting his leather jacket over it. “I’ll take you to see the victim.”

Kagome followed him down the hall; most of the people passing them gave him a polite greeting, but Inuyasha simply grumbled or nodded his head as they walked. When they reached the elevator, he pressed the down button and waited for the elevator doors to open.

“So…” said Kagome, trying to make conversation, “do you like…being a detective?”

Inuyasha grunted. The elevator doors opened, and he got on, Kagome quickly following. They rode down in silence.

When the doors opened, Sango was waiting for them. “Sango!” Kagome exhaled, glad to see a friendly face.

Sango smiled grimly. “Hey, Kagome,” she said. “Thanks for helping us out.”

“Of course!” Kagome said brightly. Inuyasha grimaced and exchanged a look with Sango. Kagome wouldn’t be so cheery when she saw the victim.

“There’s something I should warn you about, actually,” Sango said to her friend. “I should have texted you this morning, but I was caught up getting the girls ready for school.”

“What is it, Sango?” Kagome asked.

“Higurashi?” said a familiar voice. “ _You’re_ the spiritual advisor the NPA brought in?”

Kagome blushed and wanted more than anything to hide behind Sango. But, she held her own. “Hi, Hojo,” she said sheepishly.

Inuyasha didn’t need his superior nose to tell him she was embarrassed and freaked out. He leaned close to her. “Was this not a good idea, Higurashi?” he whispered.

Kagome almost swooned from how close he was. _Damn_ , _those soulmate pheromones are strong_. “I’m okay,” she whispered. “I can handle it.”

Inuyasha frowned. Did this girl leave a string of broken hearts everywhere she went?

“It’s good to see you, Higurashi,” said Hojo kindly. “How is your family?”

“They’re—well,” Kagome rasped, clearing her throat. “How about yours?”

“Everyone is fine, thanks,” Hojo said, blushing a little.

Inuyasha looked from Kagome to Hojo and back. They were both embarrassed; Inuyasha's youki was chafing to comfort Kagome and hurt Hojo, for some bizarre reason.

“So…can we show Higurashi the victim, Hojo?” Sango asked, trying to ease the tension.

“Of course!” Hojo said, a little too loudly. “This way.” He led them into a back room, where the victim’s body lay on a metal table, covered with a heavy plastic sheet.

Kagome felt the pressure of the dead full upon her. She didn’t like this room. Instinctively she reached for Inuyasha, but remembered what would happen if she touched him, and wrapped her arms around herself instead. She turned to Hojo. “May I see her?” Kagome asked politely.

Hojo looked at Inuyasha and Sango; they nodded. He pulled back the sheet; Kagome sank into Sango in horror.

“What—what happened to her?” Kagome asked in a quiet voice.

“You tell us, Higurashi,” Inuyasha said in a strange, flat tone. “What do you think?”

Sango squeezed her friend’s arm. “Go ahead, Kagome,” Sango said gently. “Tell us what you see and feel.”

Kagome hesitantly took a step forward. _Gods, what had happened to this woman?_ Her body was an odd shade of beige, and shrunken; her skin was stretched out over her bones and mottled with bruises. It was truly grotesque. Kagome took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and placed her hands over the body, channeling her power into her hands.

Inuyasha, Sango, and Hojo watched in awe as Kagome’s hands began to glow a bright magenta. She moved as though in a trance, breathing slowly and deeply, and delicately ran her hands the length of the body, hovering just a few inches about the surface. She did this several times, maintaining a steady, even breath, her body incredibly purposeful in its movements.

Inuyasha’s breath caught. He’d never seen anything so odd, or so beautiful, before. She moved like a dancer: a magnificent, glowing dancer. He noticed that Hojo watched her in the same way, a pained expression on his face.

At last, Kagome stepped back from the body and opened her eyes; she faltered a little and Sango caught her. Kagome looked up at her friend gratefully.

“Thank you, Sango-chan,” she whispered, forgetting that they were at Sango’s place of work and that honorific might not have been wholly appropriate.

“You’re welcome, Kagome-chan,” replied Sango kindly. She looked at Inuyasha and Hojo fiercely. “Give her a minute,” she said.

“No, I’m okay, Sango,” Kagome said wearily.

“What did you find, Higurashi?” Inuyasha asked gruffly. Sango glared at him.

“It’s _okay_ , Sango,” Kagome said when she saw her friend’s face. She turned to Inuyasha. “Nothing,” she told him. “I found nothing. I dug as deeply as I could to try and bring out her reiki. Are you sure this is her?”

“Her dental records confirm it,” Inuyasha answered her. “Tanaka Aiko, of Sendai. Definitely a miko.”

“But that’s impossible,” Kagome breathed. “When I tell you I felt _nothing_ , I mean I really felt nothing.”

“I believe you, Higurashi,” Inuyasha replied. “I didn’t feel anything yesterday, either. That’s why I asked you to come in. If a miko can’t sense the reiki, then there’s really nothing there.”

“So what do you think happened to her, Matsushita-san, Sango?” Kagome asked.

“What do you think, Kagome?” Sango answered. “We’d love to get your opinion.”

Kagome frowned. “Was Tanaka-san exsanguinated?”

Hojo shook his head. “Her blood is still here, or at least enough of it for us to know that’s not the cause of death.”

“Then the only other option would be a youkai like a yuki-onna,” Kagome said disbelievingly. “But I haven’t even heard of one being around…”

“In at least 100 years, if not more,” Inuyasha finished for her. “It’s impossible. And if there were, the Lords would know and would have taken care of it. There’s no way it could do this, especially to a miko.”

Kagome’s frown got deeper. “Then someone else is sucking the reiki out of mikos? That’s crazy, right?”

Sango shrugged. “I’ve heard of crazier things, Kagome.”

“Are you willing to sign a report for us stating that you’ve confirmed our findings?” Inuyasha asked her. “You can sign off on the medical examiner’s report.”

“Sure, whatever you need,” Kagome replied, her face pale. She yawned and blinked her eyes.

Sango patted her friend’s arm. “We’re almost done, Kagome-chan. Can you make it?”

Kagome smiled. “Sure. I’m okay.” She turned to Hojo. “I’m sorry we had to meet again like this.”

Hojo smiled back at her. “Me, too. Maybe we can get coffee sometime? I’d like to catch up.”

“That would be wonderful,” Kagome assured him. “You still have my number, I hope?”

Hojo nodded. “I’ll text you.” He handed Sango the report. “Be sure to send me a signed copy for my files, okay, Murasaki?”

Inuyasha let out a rumble in his chest that he wasn’t quite expecting anyone else to hear. Kagome and Hojo weren’t used to his temperament, so if they heard it, they didn’t think anything of it. Sango, though, turned her dark brown eyes on her partner and stared at him until he backed down.

Sango took the report from Hojo, her eyes still on Inuyasha. “You bet,” she replied. She turned to Kagome. “Let’s go see the Captain, give him this report. You can tell him exactly what you found…or didn’t find.”

Kagome nodded and followed Sango out, waving at Hojo as she did. Inuyasha stayed a flicker of a moment longer, shooting Hojo a death glare and growling again before he left.

Outside the office, Inuyasha took a moment to collect himself before joining Sango and Kagome. What was he doing, acting crazy and jealous over a woman that wasn’t even his? What, because they’d eaten dinner together twice and he brought her breakfast? Did that qualify him to have exclusive rights to her?

Of course it fucking didn’t.

So why did he feel like he wanted to tear Hojo’s stupid face off?

Inuyasha placed his hands against the concrete wall and softly banged his head against it, trying to knock some sense into himself. “Matsushita!” he heard Sango call. He groaned and jogged after his partner and Kagome, completely lost as to what the actual _fuck_ was going on in his head.

* * *

Inuyasha knocked on Totosai’s door, Kagome and Sango hanging back a bit.

“He’s a little abrupt, but just answer his questions and you’ll be fine, Kagome,” said Sango reassuringly.

Kagome yawned again and leaned on Sango for support. Sango frowned at Inuyasha.

“We can’t let the Captain question her for too long, Matsushita,” she said to him.

“Sango,” exclaimed Kagome, “I will be _fine_. I promise.”

“Enter,” came the brisk order, and Inuyasha opened the door for Sango and Kagome.

“Captain?” said Sango. “This is Higurashi Kagome, the spiritualist we brought in to examine the victim.”

Totosai peered at them over half-moon spectacles, an open report in his hands. He grunted and gestured for them to sit. Kagome and Sango obliged him; Inuyasha closed the door and leaned against it, his arms crossed, his face impassive.

“So, Higurashi-san,” said Totosai brusquely, “suppose you tell me about your qualifications to examine the body.”

“I would be happy to,” replied Kagome evenly. “I own the premier spiritualist school in the greater Tokyo area, if not all of Japan. I was advisor to Kouga, youkai Lord of the East, for his efforts on the Human-Youkai Treaty. I’ve published numerous articles on various aspects of spiritualism, such as reiki manipulation and defensive spells.” Her eyes gleamed; Inuyasha saw her aura sparking. “For an honorable youkai like yourself, Captain Totosai, I would have thought you would have heard of me.”

Totosai leaned back in his chair. He gazed thoughtfully at her for a moment, then broke out into raucous laughter. Sango and Inuyasha exchanged horrified glances. Kagome merely smiled as Totosai struggled to bring his laughter under control.

“So I have, Higurashi-san,” he said at last, wiping his eyes. “I have heard all about you.”

“So then why ask her, Captain?” Sango broke out.

“Because I wanted to hear for myself why she was brought in on this case,” Totosai responded.

Kagome now laughed. “That’s a different question, though, Captain,” Kagome said. “I’m here because I told Matsushita-san that if there was any reiki left in the victim’s body, I’m the best one to try and find it.”

Totosai crossed his arms and regarded her even more thoughtfully than he had before. “Is that so, Higurashi-san?” he asked.

“Yes sir,” Kagome declared. “I’m the best. Ask Murasaki’s husband. Ask the Lord of the East. Ask my students. They’ll all tell you the same thing.”

“Okay, Hirguashi-san,” Totosai responded easily. “Tell me what you found.”

“Not a goddamn thing,” she shot back immediately. “There’s nothing at all left in the victim’s aura to suggest she was a miko in life.”

“That matches what Matsushita said yesterday,” Totosai replied. “So what’s your reasoning for why that is?”

“Matsushita-san and I both agree that it seems like the work of a yuki-onna, but it can’t be, because A. they haven’t existed in at least a hundred years, and B. if they did, the Lords would have taken care of them quickly. So that’s impossible. Oh, and C. the location is right, sort of, but the time of year and the landscape are totally wrong. So, that option is out.”

Inuyasha gazed at her, surprised by her confidence. He chuckled when she let loose a bit of her reiki towards Totosai to intimidate him. She wanted the captain to know she was badass. Totosai’s youki flared up in response, but just enough to acknowledge her; he had no intention of trying to intimidate her in return.

“Okay,” Totosai said, a hint of a smile playing on his thin lips. “So far all you’ve done is tell me who _couldn’t_ have done it. Can you tell me who could?”

Kagome frowned. “That’s a difficult question,” she mused. “Who has the power to drain a miko of her spiritual powers but a youkai? However, the only youkai who actually has that power hasn’t been seen in a hundred years.” She paused. “Something else must be going on.”  
  
“Like what?” Totosai pressed.

“I don’t know,” Kagome admitted. “But I am happy to remain on the case as a consultant if you’d like. I’m sure that you have other spiritual advisors, but I can assure you that none of them are as accomplished as me.”

“That is true, Higurashi-san,” Totosai reasoned. “But would this take you away from your duties at the school?”

“I think I can balance them,” Kagome said, blinking rapidly. “Don’t worry about me.” She had gone suddenly pale.

“Kagome?” Sango said hurriedly. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” Kagome sighed. “Just…I may have overdone it before.” She looked like she was fighting to stay awake.

“Do you have yoga class today?” Sango asked her.

Kagome nodded. “Not until noon, though. It’s a lunchtime express.” Her eyelids fluttered and she struggled to stay upright. “It’s really…popular,” she added in a murmur, and sank against the back of the chair.

“Kagome!” Sango cried out, trying to pat her friend’s cheek and wake her up.

“Here,” Inuyasha said, “let me.” He stepped forward and lifted Kagome into his arms, ignoring Sango’s cry for him to keep back. The electric feeling he’d felt that day they first touched returned, but it was more like a low hum, as opposed to a massive charge. He smiled in spite of himself. It was…pleasing? He found himself fighting the urge to bury his face in her thick, glorious, blue-black hair.

Why in all the hells would he want to do that?

“Take her home, you two,” Totosai ordered. “And then I have another lead for you to follow-up on in the robberies.” He handed Sango a file. “Naraku Industries reported a break-in. I want you to see what you can find out.”

“On it, Captain,” said Sango.

“And take care of her,” Totosai added. “I think she will be useful. But we need her healthy.”

“She just overdid it downstairs, Captain,” said Sango. “She went too far trying to detect the victim’s reiki. She’s so strong, but she forgets that she needs to take care of herself.”

“Let’s get her home,” Inuyasha said snippily, trying to cover up his surprise and not really succeeding.

“She’ll be fine,” Sango reassured him. “Give her ten minutes or so, and she’ll be good as new. _Really_ ,” she added when his eyebrows raised.

“I’m okay, Matsushita-san,” Kagome murmured, already coming to. “I just needed a minute.” She opened her eyes, only to see Inuyasha’s amber eyes gazing down at her, steeped with concern. Her serene face shifted to one of panic, and she struggled in his arms. A searing pain shot through him and he nearly dropped her.

“Higurashi, what the _fuck!_ ” he gasped.

“Put—me—down,” she grumbled, now actively fighting him in her desire to get free. Inuyasha set her down, hissing at the break in contact, and when Kagome wavered, Sango put her arm around her friend’s shoulders.

“I’m okay,” Kagome said wearily again. “Take me to the school, please.”

“You can’t, Kagome!” Sango cried out. “You’re too weak.”

Kagome rolled her eyes. “Just take me, please, Sango.”

Sango murmured her goodbyes to Totosai and took her friend out of his office. Inuyasha went to follow, but Totosai made a noise and Inuyasha paused. “Look out for her, Matsushita. She’s one of the most powerful mikos in the country. She could be in danger.”

“I fucking know that, Captain,” he answered harshly. “I don’t want to think about what would happen if she were attacked.”

“No,” said Totosai, his dark eyes amused, “I would guess that you don’t.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick note about Inuyasha and Kagome's breakfast: I am _obsessed_ with taiyaki (a fish-shaped cake filled with either cream or red-bean paste--if you've seen Boku no Hero Academia, Gran Turino likes eating these). Dorayaki is of the same type of treat, but more appropriate for breakfast. It's a grilled pancake filled with a sweet, azuki bean paste. No wonder Kagome's eyes lit up when Inuyasha brought them for her! 
> 
> In the next update: Inuyasha and Sango pay a visit to Naraku Industries and meet Tsuji Onigumo, who immediately sets off Inuyasha's inu senses. See you soon, and as always, thanks so very much for reading, and for your thoughtful feedback!


	9. Questions, No Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha and Sango pay a visit to Naraku Industries, the most recent robbery victim. Something isn't right, but Inuyasha can't quite put his finger on why. Sango and Inuyasha get a phone call from Totosai.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you are safe and doing well.
> 
> Thank you _so very much_ for all the comments and kudos on this story! I am beyond grateful. Your comments have been so thoughtful and encouraging--it really motivated me to write (like, a lot). Chapter 9 is a baby chapter, so I'm going to post Chapters 9 and 10 together today! Please enjoy!

When Inuyasha and Sango dropped Kagome off at her school, a familiar figure was lounging outside, waiting.

“Kouga?” Kagome grumbled at Sango. “You called _Kouga?_ ”

“I called him, Higurashi,” said Inuyasha. “I can’t stick around and keep an eye on you, and someone has to do it. He’s better than no one at all.”

“I don’t need anyone to ‘keep an eye’ on me!” she exclaimed. “I’m _fine_.”

“Humor a police detective, please,” he answered, rolling his eyes. He rolled down Sango’s window and leaned across her. “Yo, wolf.”

Kouga looked up at the sound of Inuyasha’s voice. “Yo, mutt.”

“Here she is,” Inuyasha said. “Keep an eye on her.”

“I always do,” Kouga replied as Kagome got out of the back seat of the car.

“I’ll see you at 8:30 sharp,” Inuyasha told her. “Be good. No trouble.”

“I—can’t—believe—you,” she hissed.

“Bye, Kagome-chan!” Sango called before rolling up her window.

Inuyasha drove away, leaving Kagome steaming on the sidewalk. Sango burst out laughing.

“That was so fun,” she said, wiping her eyes. “Calling Kouga was inspired. She’s going to give you such a hard time about that.”

Inuyasha frowned. “She can’t be alone, Murasaki,” he said simply. “There weren’t a lot of choices. I don’t have the obaba’s number, and I called the monk but he didn’t answer.”

“Miroku’s probably at acupuncture,” Sango replied with another laugh. “He goes twice a week. It helps with his bad back.”

“It is what it is,” said Inuyasha simply. “She’ll have to deal with it.”

The ride to Naraku Industries was mostly silent; Sango read over the report and gave insights to Inuyasha as he drove.

“Does your brother have any dealings with Naraku Industries?” Sango asked him.

“Hells if I know,” Inuyasha replied, turning down the street that housed the company building. “We barely speak as it is. But depending on what we find out today, it couldn’t hurt to ask.”

“The owner of Naraku Industries is Tsuji Onigumo. He is a hanyou, although his origins are unknown.” Sango frowned. “He founded Naraku Industries twelve years ago, and in the past five years it has become one of the premier biomedical companies in the country.”

“What changed in the last five years?” Inuyasha asked.

“Seems like he made a lot of money developing technology that could be used in…wait for it…” Sango paused.

“MRI machines,” Inuyasha guessed.

“Bingo,” Sango said.

“Interesting.” Inuyasha paused. “What was taken? Do we know?”

Sango flipped through the pages. “Radio frequency coils and gradient coils, it looks like. Same as the other places.”

Inuyasha pulled into the parking lot beside the building. “Nothing else?” he asked. “Laser technology, anything like that?”

Sango scanned the sheet. “Doesn’t look like it. But there were quite a few coils taken.” She sighed and rubbed her temples with her fingers. “These are not small parts, Matsushita. How are people getting them in and out of a building?”

“It could be an inside job,” Inuyasha replied, getting out of the car. “But that would either mean that someone knows all these businesses, or that people at the businesses are working together. It’s not impossible, but not exactly probable, either.”

Naraku Industries was an entirely different building from what Inuyasha was used to at Matsushita Technologies. His family kept their building light and airy, with lots of tall windows and huge glass doors. Naraku Industries, though, was a large, imposing building, all concrete and steel, with few windows. The doors were glass encased in steel and very heavy. Inuyasha had to yank on the door much harder than he was used to in order to open it. He let Sango in first, then let the door close after him.

The receptionist was a small, pale girl dressed all in white. She wore headphones with an attached microphone. Her nametag said, “Kanna.”

“Hello, there,” said Sango, flashing her badge at the receptionist. “I’m Detective Murasaki, and this is Detective Matsushita. We’re from the National Police Agency, and we understand there was a break-in here last night?”

Kanna’s face was blank for a moment, then recognition flashed across her calm countenance. “Yes, that’s right,” she replied slowly. She pressed a button on her phone. “Hey,” she said into her mouthpiece, “please tell Tsuji-shachou that two detectives from the NPA are here about the robbery.” She paused. “Okay,” she said, “I’ll tell them.” She disconnected the call and looked at the detectives. “You can go right up to Tsuji-shachou’s office; he’s expecting you. Fifth floor; his receptionist will show you the way. Elevators are down the hall and to the left.” She smiled grimly. “I hope you find whoever took those materials,” she added. “They are expensive.”

“We’ll do our best,” Sango reassured her. She and Inuyasha followed the receptionist’s directions to the elevators, and then took one to the fifth floor. There, they were surprised to find a much more open entry room, and they were greeted by another receptionist, a young man with a long ponytail whose nametag read “Byakuya.”

“You’re the officers Kanna-san just sent up, correct?” They nodded and showed him their badges. “Tsuji-shachou is waiting for you. Please, this way.” He rose and led them down a hall full of doors to one at the very end; the nameplate on the door read “Tsuji Onigumo.” Byakuya rapped smartly on the door; an abrupt “Enter” had him opening the office door.

“Tsuji-shachou,” Byakuya said politely, “these are the detectives who are here about the missing equipment.”

“Matsushita Inuyasha and Murasaki Sango, National Police Agency, Criminal Affairs Bureau,” Inuyasha introduced them, flashing his badge.

Tsuji Onigumo rose and bowed briefly before them. “Tsuji Onigumo, President and CEO of Naraku Industries,” he replied. “Thank you for coming.”

Tsuji was a tall man; Inuyasha stood well over six feet, but Tsuji was only a few inches shorter; Inuyasha guessed his height to be around six-two or so. He had long, flowing dark hair, which was bound up neatly in a high ponytail. He wore a dark blue flannel suit, a white button-down, and a deep purple tie. Inuyasha was struck by his eyes: a deep red-violet, the only physical marker he could detect of Tsuji’s hanyou status. His youki, though, was flowing out and around him—not stifling, but deep, and dark.

 _Almost jyaki_ , Inuyasha noted, a low growl threatening to escape his throat.

Sango bobbed back in acknowledgement of Tsuji’s polite bow. “Thank you for taking the time to speak to us, Tsuji-san,” she replied. “I’m sure that you are a very busy man.”

Tsuji waved his hand, indicating they should sit. “I am,” he said clearly, sliding back into his own seat as Sango and Inuyasha took the chairs on the other side of the desk. “But I am happy to talk with you about my missing product.” His eyes narrowed. “I hope you catch the bastard. I’m out quite a bit of money.”

“We’ll do our best, Tsuji-san,” replied Sango. Inuyasha merely gazed at the hanyou, who looked at them both levelly.

Why did Inuyasha feel as though something was off about this guy?

“Can you tell us exactly what you are missing from your warehouse, Tsuji-san?” Sango asked.

“Yes,” Tsuji replied. He reached into his desk and pulled out a folder. He opened it and looked over what was clearly an inventory report. “Three sets of gradient coils, and three radio frequency coils.” He looked back up at Inuyasha and Sango. “That’s three MRI machines someone wants to build.”

“So it would seem,” Inuyasha commented. He leaned forward. “What was the situation in the warehouse last night?” he asked. “I mean, do you normally have guards posted? A night watchman?”

“You’re trying to figure out if someone slacked off, or if it was an inside job,” Tsuji replied. “I can assure you that my night watchman was not involved.”

“Can you tell us when the items were first recorded missing, Tusji-san?” Sango asked.

“This morning when our day shift came in,” he answered. “They are required to do inventory and organize materials for the day’s work.”

“So if it had gone missing before last night…”

“We would have known about it,” Tsuji finished. “For sure.”

“Can you think of any reason why these items in particular might have been taken?” Sango followed up.

Tsuji shrugged. “Someone wants to build an MRI machine?”

“But where could you hide something so large?” Sango pressed.

“Hells if I know,” he replied. “But why else would someone want these items? They’re not small, and there are very few uses.”

“Can we see the warehouse, Tsuji-san?” Inuyasha asked suddenly.

Tsuji gave him an odd look. “Of course,” he said. “I’ll show you myself.” He rose, and so did Inuyasha and Sango. Sango shot Inuyasha a confused look, but Inuyasha shook his head slightly.

As they followed Tsuji to the elevators, Inuyasha began to think. Tsuji’s scent told him that the hanyou was lying. It wasn’t clear about what, exactly, but he was definitely lying. Normally they would have continued their line of questioning a bit further before asking to see the warehouse, but Inuyasha was convinced that Tsuji wasn’t going to give them anything else useful. He needed to see the space where the items had been stolen from. Maybe that would begin to yield some clues.

When the elevator stopped at the first floor, Tsuji led them down a long hall to a door that opened into a large courtyard. Inuyasha paused for a moment to admire the open space, the flowers, and the fountain in the middle. “I like to be able to give my employees a space to relax, to eat lunch outside, to take walks,” Tsuji explained.

“It’s very nice,” Sango complimented him. Inuyasha grunted an agreement.

“The warehouse is on the other side,” Tsuji said, “this way.” He led them through the courtyard to another building; this one was not quite as tall, but had the same concrete walls and lack of windows. Tsuji brought them to another heavy door; this time, he swiped a card key through the lock, then stared into the recognition plate. The door pinged, and he opened it.

“In here,” he said, “I’ll show you where they were taken from.”

Inuyasha and Sango followed Tsuji politely, but Inuyasha’s senses were working overtime, trying to pick on something—anything—they could use in their investigation.

So far, he was coming up empty.

The warehouse seemed like a typical warehouse. Lots of workers were milling about; they were moving product from one part of the warehouse to another, preparing product for shipping or delivery. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The mixture of scents was typical of a workplace—lots of them floating in and out of the space. All appeared well.

But when Tsuji led them into the main part of the warehouse, Inuyasha detected a change in his scent. It was much more delicate, much more tenuous. Like he was hanging by a string.

“Here’s where we keep the parts for MRI machines,” Tsuji was explaining. Inuyasha was only half listening, which he knew was a terrible thing for a detective to admit. But he was desperately trying to scent something more out of the ordinary. So far, all he could detect was Tsuji’s nervousness.

“And who has access to this part of the warehouse?” Sango asked.

Tsuji frowned. “Almost everyone,” he said apologetically. “The items are loaded in and out of the warehouse, so there are lots of people through here every day.”

“How about at night?” Inuyasha asked. “Who has access to the floor at night?”

“The night watchman, and if there are any overnight deliveries, the night watchman gives them access to the main warehouse,” Tsuji explained.

“Were there any overnight deliveries last night, Tsuji-san?” asked Sango.

“Not that I’m aware of,” Tsuji replied.

“Could someone have said they were doing a night delivery?” Inuyasha asked.

“If someone had fudged their way into the warehouse, the video cameras would have captured it,” Tsuji said thoughtfully.

“Is there a way we can have access to the footage?”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Tsuji promised. “In the meantime…”

“Also please get us a list of your deliveries from the last few days,” Inuyasha interjected. “We’ll cross-list them against the other companies who have reported robberies, and see what we find.”

“I’ll send them over with the footage,” Tsuji said. “I think I can get everything to you by the end of the day.”

“Great,” Sango said. “Thank you so much. Here is my card; please call me if you have any other questions or concerns.” She bowed and handed Tusji her business card.

Tsuji bowed slightly and accepted it. “Thank you,” he replied. “Now, if you will excuse me, I have a lot to do while I’m here.”

“Of course,” answered Sango. She nudged Inuyasha. “Matsushita,” she said.

Inuyasha’s ears perked up to attention. “Yeah,” he said. “Thanks, Tsuji-san. We’ll be in touch.” He allowed Sango to steer him out of the warehouse and back towards the main building.

“What do you think, Matsushita?” Sango asked once they were in the safety of the car.

Inuyasha frowned. “Bastard’s hiding something,” he said simply. “Just gotta figure out what.”

Sango nodded. “He was awfully willing to share his video footage and his paperwork with us,” she agreed. “Let’s have an officer or two keep an eye on his building. Just to see if anyone else suspicious is coming or going.”

“Good thinking,” Inuyasha said, steering out of the parking lot and back to the main road. “I think it might be time to call my brother again, too,” he added, groaning at the thought of talking to Sesshomaru twice in the span of less than a week.

As he drove in the direction of Matsushita Technologies’ main building, Sango’s phone rang. She quickly activated the call. “Murasaki.”

 _“Murasaki_ ,” said a familiar voice. _“It’s Totosai._ ”

“Captain,” Sango said, “what’s up?”

“ _Is Matsushita with you?_ ” he asked.

“Hold on,” replied Sango, “I’ll put you on speaker.” She turned the speaker on. “Go ahead, Captain,” she said, a little louder. “Matsushita’s here. We’re driving to Matsushita Technologies to see his brother. We just left Naraku Industries and think Sesshomaru-san can give us some further insights.”

“ _I need you to turn your car around and head to Shinagawa,_ ” he said. “ _More specifically, Higashi-Shinagawa Kaijo Park. Fast as you can._ ”

“What’s at the park, Captain?” Inuyasha asked, turning on the sirens and weaving deftly through the traffic.

“ _A body_ ,” Totosai answered grimly. “ _Like Tanaka’s. I think it’s another miko_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the next update: we learn a little more about what's happening with the missing mikos, and Kagome _finally_ tells Sango something important. 
> 
> Thanks again, everyone, and see you soon! <3


	10. Secrets Unraveling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miroku tries to explain things to Kouga; Kagome does explain things to Sango.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Welcome to Chapter 10! Lots of goodies happening in this chapter ^_^

Miroku walked his physical defense class back out to the lobby, where waiting parents checked in with Kouga and signed out their children. The budding young miko and houshi put on their shoes, bowed again to their teacher, and left; Miroku could hear them prattling on happily to their parents about what they’d learned in class that day. He sighed and rubbed his temples; he had about thirty minutes before his last class of the day, and he was hungry and tired.

“You look like you’ve had a hell of a time, houshi,” said the wolfish voice from behind the front desk.

Miroku turned and saw Kouga sitting there, leaning forward, his ponytail thrown forward over his shoulder. He was grinning; his smile was rows of pointed teeth.

“Things…have not been so easy of late, my Lord,” Miroku said.

“Don’t call me that, Murasaki,” Kouga said harshly. “It’s been a long time since I was Lord of anything.”

“And yet your title still earns you respect among humans and youkai alike, my friend,” Miroku said with a smile. He knew the important role Kouga (and, by extension, Kagome) had played in helping to negotiate the Human-Youkai Treaty signed into law just a few years before; it was one of the reasons their school had taken off so quickly. The peace established between humans and youkai meant that youkai could walk freely and live their lives, and it also meant that spiritual humans could develop their abilities, with the understanding that they would now be protectors and peace-keepers, of humans and youkai both. Miroku knew just how much Kouga had done for both their races, and he was grateful.

Kouga snorted. “Tell that to Ginta and Hakkaku, who are relentless bastards and love to give me a hard time.”

Miroku leaned against the wall beside Kouga’s desk. “I never did thank you for stepping up to help us out. I know it means that you spend less time at the club than you might like. And I know that also means you can’t keep an eye on it like you want. Especially after…” Sango had told him all about the raid on Kouga’s club several months before. They’d caught a serial killer, but the media attention had damaged the club’s reputation. Kouga was working hard to rebuild the club’s image.

Kouga shrugged. “It’s not a big deal. And if means I can keep an eye on her—” he jerked his thumb to the smaller dojo down the hall “—then it’s worth it.”

Miroku’s eyes follow Kouga’s gesture. He knew exactly what Kouga meant. “She’s stubborn,” he said.

Kouga smiled grimly. “At the cost of her own life, potentially.”

Miroku crossed his arms. “I would give my life before that happened, you know.”

“Even at the expense of the lives of your wife and children?” Kouga scoffed. “Please, houshi. You have your own family to worry about; they depend on you.”

“Yes, I realize that,” Miroku shot back. “But Sango would never forgive me if something happened to Kagome.”

“And I would never forgive myself,” Kouga said hotly. “She’s—she’s—”

“I know,” Miroku finished for him simply.

The two men, youkai and human, remained together in silence for several moments. Finally, Kouga spoke.

“Are you thinking of closing the school?”

“It’s too early to make any decisions on that yet,” Miroku said honestly. “I trust Sango and Matsushita’s opinion. If they think it’s safe for us to stay open, then we stay open.” He smirked. “I don’t imagine many getting past you, anyway, friend.”

Kouga barked out a laugh. “You know this school is safe with me around,” he confirmed. “But I worry about her being here alone, you know,” he added, dropping his voice for a moment.

“I’ve arranged for a police escort to take Kagome home every night,” Miroku said. “And if she doesn’t start listening to reason about the daytime, I’m sure that escort will have no problem getting her here for the morning yoga classes.”

“Are you sure you can trust the mutt?” Kouga scoffed. “He’s just a half-breed. It would be better to have someone stronger get her from place to place.”

“Jealous, Kouga?” Miroku teased. When the wolf’s eyes began to seep red, Miroku took a step back and held up his heads in a placating manner. “I’m sorry, my Lord. I didn’t mean to offend.”

Kouga sighed; his eyes slowly turned back to their normal bright blue. “No offense taken, houshi,” he said. “But I do wish she’d asked me to take her home at night.” His eyes indicated his longing.

“I’m sure you’ve talked about it with Kagome, but she is very…guarded…when it comes to her feelings,” Miroku said carefully. He wasn’t sure how much the ookami knew about spiritualists and sexuality.

“I know she can’t get close to anyone like that,” Kouga said. “Or at least, she doesn’t want to.”

“She would lose her powers,” Miroku gently corrected him. “It’s not about feeling something, or not. It’s about maintaining her livelihood. It would not be fair to demand she give that up, for a life that would feel empty to her, no matter how you would try to fill it.”

Kouga just growled in response.

“Imagine if someone asked you to give up your youki to be with them,” Miroku continued, trying to get the wolf to see his point of view. “You wouldn’t—no, you _couldn’t_ —do that. It’s the same for us. But mikos have it even harder.”

“You’re with Sango, and there aren’t any problems with your power,” Kouga pointed out.

“Sango and I are soulmates,” Miroku said. “We are bound to each other, and that binding protects my power. I do not know if it is the same for mikos, though.” He frowned. “I’ve never heard of a miko mating with someone and keeping her abilities. Kagome is afraid of losing everything she has worked for, Kouga. Please don’t challenge her on that.”

“Maybe she and I are soulmates!” Kouga said.

Miroku smiled to himself; outwardly, he shook his head.

“Believe me,” he said sadly, “by this point, you would _know_.”

* * *

Bankotsu was frustrated.

So far, all his attempts had failed. Every one resulted in a fatality, either accidental or on purpose; he was counting the minutes, at this point, until his boss told him to dispense of the subjects altogether. His boss was a patient man, but even his patience had its limits. And Bankotsu didn’t want to test those limits.

He sighed as he scrolled through the images on his phone, looking for some new options to suggest to his boss. They had tried mikos with excessive amounts of power from Sendai, Osaka, and Nagano, before turning their attentions to Tokyo. And now he searched through the options in Tokyo, trying to find a new angle; something they hadn’t thought of before.

Then his eyes came to rest on a beautiful, defiant face. Her black hair shimmered, even in this photo. Her blue-gray eyes gazed out as though they could see into his soul. Her aura radiated off her in waves; he could practically feel it through her picture _and_ his phone.

He smiled. She might be perfect.

But then he read her bio, and he froze. Taking someone like her would be tough. She was strong; she was well-connected. If she went missing, it would launch a national search. And they couldn’t afford to let their operations be known.

Yet.

But as Bankotsu read her biography, he realized there might be another option. Another way to capitalize on her power, without actually taking her.

Bankotsu smiled and went to his phone’s home screen. He accessed his favorites, then selected “Boss.” He waited for the call to connect.

“Yeah, boss,” he said when the other man answered. “I know things haven’t been going the way that we’ve wanted. But I’ve got an idea, and it might be a game-changer. When can I come see you?” He paused. “Great,” he said. “I’ve got a few things to wrap up here, and then I’ll be by. I’ll text before I leave to make sure you are free.”

He ended the call with his boss, then sent a text to an unidentified number.

_Arakawa_.

Almost immediately a text came back.

_Yes._

Bankostsu smiled grimly and opened the door to the test subject room; several bodies lay bound to metal tables, naked, their identities announced by file clipboards hanging from hooks on the sides of their tables. He looked around, disgusted. How far had they come, only for these women to have failed him?

“Listen up, everyone,” he said in a harsh voice. Nobody moved.

“We’re going to go through one final round of testing. Anyone who passes will live. Anyone who doesn’t…” Bankotsu left the rest unsaid.

He wondered how many would live to see the morning.

* * *

As Kagome walked the spiritual defense class out to greet their parents after class, she was stunned to see Sango waiting for her daughters. It had been awhile since her friend had been able to leave work early enough to pick up the girls.

“Mama!” Akemi and Akari cried, running to greet their mother.

“Girls,” Sango chided them gently, “go back in line with your classmates, and wait for Kagome to dismiss you.”

Akemi and Akari hung their heads. “Yes, Mama.” They went back to join the line.

Kagome took her position at the head of the line, and clapped her hands once to get the students’ attention. They all clapped once in response, and were silent, listening for their teacher’s closing words.

Kagome smiled. “Thank you for all your hard work today,” she said gently. “Now, be sure to sign out with Moriyama-sama, so that we can check you out properly. You and your parents must sign Moriyama-sama’s form before you are allowed to go.” She clapped her hands in praise of her students. “Well done, everyone!” she exclaimed. “See you next week.” Kagome went to stand beside Kouga so they could check the students out. She felt Kouga’s eyes on her, but did her best to ignore his intense gaze, focusing instead on her students.

“Kagome.” Sango had snuck up beside her, and was speaking to her in a soft tone as she signed the girls out. “Do you have a minute?”

Kagome blinked and looked at her friend. “Sure,” she replied. “What’s up?”

“Is there someplace private we can go to talk?” Sango asked.

“The office?” Kagome supplied. Sango nodded. Kagome turned to Kouga. “I’ll be back in fifteen,” she said to him. “Could you please sign in my next class and ask them to wait in the tatami dojo?” Kouga nodded, his eyes flickering suspiciously to Sango before returning to Kagome. Kagome smiled gratefully and led Sango and the girls down the hall to the office.

Once there, Sango whipped out two tablets and two sets of headphones. While she got the girls situated, Kagome closed the door. “What’s this all about, Sango?” she asked.

Sango adjusted the volume on the girls’ headphones, then settled into a chair, looking intensely at her friend. Kagome cringed a little, but sat next to her. Sango took a deep breath.

“We found another body today, Kagome-chan,” she said softly. “In Shinagawa. We’re working on identifying it now, but it’s definitely a miko. The body was in the same condition as Tanaka’s when we found it.”

Kagome felt her face drain of color; she clutched her friend’s arm. “Oh, gods, Sango,” was all she could say.

Sango nodded grimly. “The NPA has finally been given jurisdiction, and Matsushita and I will be the leads on the case.”

“Do you still want my help?” Kagome asked immediately.

“If you’re willing, then yes, please,” Sango said. “You’re the best. The NPA is prepared to compensate you as well. You would be a consultant on the case.”

“You don’t need to pay me—” Kagome began.

“Don’t be stupid, Kagome,” Sango interrupted. “You’re going to put in the hours. Let us pay you.”

Kagome smiled slightly. Her friend always had her best interests at heart.

Sango rose. “I should get the girls home,” she said. “Matsushita will be able to give you more details when you see him tonight. He’s waiting to get the ID on the victim. He may ask you to come down to the station with him to check the victim’s reiki again.”

“Wait, Sango,” Kagome said, reaching up and grasping her friend’s arm. Sango looked down at her.

“I—I need to tell you something,” she mumbled. Kagome really wished she could have a shot of whiskey first, but she had to tell _someone_ , and she’d much rather tell Sango than Miroku. The monk would never let her live this down. Sango at least would listen.

“What is it?” asked Sango, sitting back down.

“It’s about Matsushita-san,” Kagome said slowly. _Oh, fuck. How to say this?_

Sango grinned. “You like him!” she crowed.

“No! I mean, yes! I mean…” Kagome stopped babbling and took a deep breath. “Yes, I like him. But no, it’s not what you think.”

Sango stared openly at her friend, one eyebrow quirked.

“He’s—he’s—he’s my soulmate,” Kagome finally said, all in a rush, her face heating up at the admission. She couldn’t figure out if she felt better or worse at having revealed her secret. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited for what she anticipated to be Sango’s very loud, very descriptive, response.

However, she was met with silence. Sango wasn’t saying _anything._

Hesitantly, Kagome opened one eye, then the other. Sango’s stare had become a gape, and she was slack-jawed at Kagome’s revelation. Her brown eyes blinked repeatedly at her best friend.

“I’m sorry,” Sango said faintly, holding her hand to her heart, “but I thought you just said Matsushita Inuyasha was your _soulmate_?”

Kagome offered a tiny, almost imperceptible, nod.

“You’re sure?”

Another tiny nod.

Sango checked to see that her daughters were distracted; she leaned back in her chair and expelled a lot of air from her lungs. “Well, fuck me,” she exclaimed disbelievingly. “You and Matsushita, huh?”

“It appears so,” Kagome said weakly.

“How did you figure it out?” asked Sango, now leaning forward and resting her head on her hands, apparently extremely interested in whatever Kagome had to say next.

“He was walking me home,” Kagome replied. “I wanted to go to a convenience store to get dinner, and I grabbed his hand.”

Sango nodded knowingly. “And then it all went to hell.”

“Sango-chan,” Kagome breathed, “I’ve heard of love described as being struck by lightning. I always thought it was a metaphor, not the literal, actual, experience.”

Sango burst into laughter. “I think that whoever came up with that metaphor must have been spiritual.” She and Kagome laughed together.

When their laughter died down to fits of giggles, Sango’s face became serious again. “So, Kagome-chan,” she said, “did you tell him?” One look at Kagome’s face told Sango everything she needed to know. “Oh, Kagome-chan,” she said softly, reaching out and taking her friend’s hand, “you _have_ to tell him, and soon.”

“I know, Sango-chan,” replied Kagome half-heartedly. “It’s not an easy thing to admit, though.”

“Are you having side effects?” Sango asked immediately.

Kagome blushed again, thinking of her dream. “Ye—e—s,” was all she would say.

A slow smirk spread across Sango’s face. “If you don’t want those— _side effects_ —to get worse, you need to tell him,” she advised Kagome. “And soon.” She paused. “He’s probably having them, too, and wondering why it seems like he’s losing his mind.”

Kagome gasped, but a knock on the door prevented Kagome from answering. “Come in,” she called in a halting tone.

It was Kouga. “Your class starts in two minutes, Kagome,” he reminded her.

Kagome gasped. “I almost forgot! Thanks, Kouga,” she said to him. Kouga grinned at her, nodded at Sango, and closed the door.

Kagome groaned and buried her head in her arms. Sango looked amused.

“So I guess the real million yen question is…” Sango paused for dramatic effect, “…how are you going to tell _Kouga_?”

* * *

Ito Naomi was worried. Several missing mikos, and no leads yet from the police. She had been opening and closing the shrine every day on her own, but honestly, she didn’t feel comfortable doing that anymore. She wondered if she should call in her sister to help her out for a bit, at least so that she wouldn’t be alone.

She thought about her friend, Higurashi Kagome, and her school. How was Higurashi-san managing her school right now? Was she planning to close it? Did she have ideas for how Naomi could protect herself and her shrine?

Tonight, even though it was a Friday, she decided to call Kagome, and get some advice.

She was doing her final sweep of the shrine courtyard for the evening. It had been a busy day; despite her concerns about the missing mikos, she had to admit that it had been good for business. People were worried about shrines closing, and so were attending them in droves, hoping to fit in their prayers before it was too late. _Good for business_? Naomi thought, _yes. Annoying? Also yes._   
  
As she finished up her sweeping, she was surprised to see a figure emerging from the shrine at this point of the day. “I’m sorry,” she called out, “but we are closed.”

The figure came closer. It was a man; he was tall, broad-shouldered, and, Ito thought, quite handsome. He smiled at her, revealing two rows of perfectly formed white teeth.

“Are you Ito-sama?” he asked.

“I am,” she replied. “Can I help you?”

“You can,” he answered. “I am wondering about your work with Higurashi Kagome. You know her, correct?”

“Higurashi-sama and I are friends, yes,” Naomi said. “Do you know her?”

“I know of her,” the man told her carefully. “I am interested in signing my daughter up for her spiritual school, but no one is answering the phone. I thought that perhaps talking to someone she knows would help us get our proverbial foot in the door.”

“I am happy to call her on your behalf, Mr…”

He came close to her and bowed. “Egawa.”

She bowed back. “Nice to meet you—”

Naomi didn’t get to finish her sentence. Another man had snuck up behind her and hit her over the head with his bare fist, with so much strength that she immediately dropped to the ground. The first man growled at the second as he knelt to check her pulse.

“You’re lucky she’s not dead, Jakotsu,” the first man said harshly. “You know Bankotsu needs them alive. Especially this one, since she knows Higurashi.”

The man called Jakotsu shrugged. “If she were dead, no biggie. Bankotsu has others with information on Higurashi.”

The first man rolled his eyes. “You’re a fucking idiot sometimes, Jakotsu, you know that, right?” he retorted. He bent over and hefted Naomi into his arms. “Let’s get her to the car, and quick, before someone sees us.”

Jakotsu sighed. He hated always being the brawn of the operation. Although, he really hoped that he would be able to be the one to take Higurashi, himself. Running around kidnapping miko bitches really wasn’t his thing, and the sooner it was over, the better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> She _finally_ admits it!! Now, when will she tell her actual soulmate? Not in the next update, but stay tuned, because someone is stalking Kagome. 
> 
> See you very soon! Thanks everyone so much for reading. I so enjoy reading your comments--thank you for your careful and thoughtful feedback <3 <3


	11. Unwelcome Guest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone is at the school who shouldn't be. Kagome calls Inuyasha for help, and he races to her side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope wherever you are, you're safe and well.
> 
> Thanks so much for all your comments and kudos and bookmarks, once again! If you've commented in the past day or so, I promise that I will get to you ASAP. Work has been _insane_ , and reading your thoughts gives me joy and is a very welcome distraction. 
> 
> I am so excited to bring you the next update of Spirited Soulmates! In this chapter we also get to learn a little more about Kagome's classes. I hope that you enjoy!

Now that she had confessed her secret to Sango, Kagome found it impossible to concentrate through her last class. It was Introduction to Healing, and the students were all teenagers, at least fifteen years old, old enough to properly channel their reiki, but young enough to still be grumpy about being in spiritual school at 6:30 on a Friday night. Not that Kagome could blame them. When Kagome was that age, all she could think about was playing her music loudly enough to annoy her mother and hanging out with her friends. She also hated going to spiritual training classes, especially because she was always touted as some kind of prodigy who would be the next great miko, when in fact she just wanted to make it through high school in one piece and without failing math.

Kagome tried to keep that in mind as she walked her students through the fundamentals of healing. They were spending several weeks studying anatomy; Kagome was appalled at how little teenagers knew about the makeup of the human body. She hadn’t taken anatomy until college, sure, but she thought that, with the passing of the Human-Youkai Treaty and the sudden need to educate spiritualists, there would be a shift in curriculum.

Apparently not.

This week they were working on levitation, along with anatomy. She had managed to procure several plastic human dummies, with removable muscles, bones, and organs. The students were working on fitting the bodies back together, but she insisted that they make the pieces levitate, instead of using their hands, so they could practice other skills. And they were having a blast doing it, too. Kagome smiled to herself as she watched the students try to work out where the parts of the body fit. The group working on the major organs was currently stuck on the spleen; the group working on bones was trying to figure out how to fit the ulna and radius to the humerus in the dummy’s arm; the group working on muscles argued about the best way to fit the muscles of the thigh together. Kagome wasn’t a scientist, but she had extensive knowledge on the makeup of the human body—it was essential for anyone who wanted to work as a healer (which, for a time in college, she had thought she wanted to do). This class was a good introduction for her students.

Outside, she heard the front doorbell ring as someone stepped into the building. Kagome knew that Kouga had left a little early that night to get over to the club and receive some orders. It was only 7:45; class ended at 8:15, and she didn’t expect Inuyasha until 8:30. She frowned, trying to decide if she should send out her aura to figure out who was there.

 _No_ , she decided, _the best option is to check things out myself. Mask my reiki, and be prepared to attack_.

“Hey everyone,” she said loudly, getting the class’s attention, “I’m going to step outside for a moment. Keep working. I’ll be right back.”

The grunts and nods told her they’d heard her; quickly, they went back to their work. Kagome slid open the door to the tatami dojo and took a few moments to prepare herself. She meditated on her reiki, and drew it up and out, allowing it to shimmer around her and render her invisible. Once she was sure that she had a good grasp on blocking her reiki, too, she crept down the corridor, which was slightly dark, to the front entry.

The only light in the entryway was the desk lamp. It cast a mysterious glow over the front hall. Kagome shivered, and looked around anxiously to see who might be there.

No one. The front entryway was empty, although the door swung gently, as though it had recently been pushed open.

Kagome took a moment to send out her reiki into the rest of the building. She was nervous about doing it, but her invisibility would make finding her a lot harder. She closed her eyes again and allowed her aura to flow forth from her, into all the corners of her school, except for the tatami dojo, where her students where.

Nothing. Not a trace of youki, or reiki, other than the reiki in the classroom.

But she detected a trace of…human? Not a spiritualist, but someone had definitely been there. And they were human.

Kagome instantly knew what she had to do. Keeping her invisibility barrier up, she ran to the office and grabbed her phone. She unlocked it, went to her contacts, and initiated a call.

“Matsushita-san?” she said. “It’s Higurashi Kagome. I need you at the school, now. Someone was here, and I can still detect their presence. I need to know if you can scent them out.”

* * *

Inuyasha had spent the better part of the afternoon at the crime scene in Shinagawa, talking to witnesses, trying to find someone who would have seen whoever dumped the body along the walkway under the Isle Bridge in the middle of the afternoon. And from what he’d learned, lots of people saw the body, but nobody saw anything out of the ordinary enough to talk about it. _Typical humans_ , Inuyasha grumbled to himself as he went from person to person. Where was a fucking youkai when you needed one? A youkai witness would have seen, or heard, or smelled, anything different.

After the debacle at the park, he then sat for a few hours in the medical examiner’s office with Hojo, going over the new report and comparing it with the old one. Hojo hadn’t yet done a full examination on the new victim, but the appearance was close enough that they could reason that this victim also had her reiki drained. Inuyasha couldn’t detect any reiki from the victim (but he would have Kagome check on that soon), nor could they identify the body without dental records. Those didn’t come in until close to 6:30, and when they did, Inuyasha had to admit he was a little devastated: Sarashina Miyuki, only 18 years old, and already a promising miko. She’d been a first-year college student at the University of Osaka who was taken on her way to class. The thought of such a young life cut down, so early, always made Inuyasha’s heart ache. And rage at whoever would do such a thing.

Back at his desk, reports piled high, deadlines loomed closer, and the files and security footage had just come over from Naraku Industries. Inuyasha grunted as he organized the tapes to bring down to his tech guys, in hopes that they’d be able to find something. His thoughts turned, as they so often did these days, to Kagome. She was so powerful, yet there hadn’t been any attempts to take her (so far as they knew). Whoever was kidnapping mikos either didn’t know about her power, or knew of her youkai connections, and didn’t want to risk the wrath of the Lord of the East.

Inuyasha had to admit: this was one time he wished that he had held onto his title of Prince of the West, because he would have loved to have been able to throw his weight around to protect her. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to retain the title; one had to be politically involved for the title to have merit. He knew that Kouga’s title only had meaning because the wolf had been so active in human-youkai relations for over a hundred years. Inuyasha thought too of his brother; Sesshomaru’s title was the only youkai title that garnered widespread respect, among humans and youkai alike. He had been the de facto ruler in Japan in many ways for centuries, advising emperors and prime ministers since it had become apparent that humans and youkai would have to learn to co-exist peacefully. Even though Sesshomaru was content to run his technology empire, Inuyasha knew his bastard of a half-brother just _loved_ giving advice and interjecting on world affairs as he saw fit.

Inuyasha smacked himself in the face. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of asking his brother before this about the missing mikos. Sesshomaru was no detective, but he had a unique perspective on spiritualists that would be helpful, especially when Inuyasha was feeling so stumped by this case. He needed to talk to him, _now_.

He pulled out his phone to call Sesshomaru, only to have it start ringing in his hand. Inuyasha jumped about a kilometer and yelped. He saw who it was and quickly answered the call. “Higurashi?”

“ _Matsushita-san_?” she said, her voice trembling. “ _It’s Higurashi Kagome. I need you at the school, now. Someone was here, and I can still detect their presence. I need to know if you can scent them out_.”

Inuyasha nearly blacked out and saw red. The level of fury that coursed through his blood made him breathe heavily through his mouth to keep some sense of his humanity near the surface. _In for two, out for two,_ he told himself, willing his breath to help him not completely lose his shit. He could feel his youki begging to take over, to fly to the school, to protect Kagome. Because fucking _fucks_ , he had _known_ something like this was bound to happen! And he would be damned if anyone got their hands on her.

He shouted at the dispatcher to call Sango for him and have her meet him at the school as he barreled out of his department office and down the hall. He bypassed the elevators and went right for the stairs; he paused at the entrance to the stairwell, bent his legs, then propelled himself into the air and straight down five flights of stairs. He landed at the bottom with a resounding _BOOM_ , leaving a huge divot in the concrete. Inuyasha went out the emergency exit door, not giving a shit about the alarms going off, and he raced down the street, past the parking garage where his car was. Inuyasha didn’t need the car. He could go faster without it anyway.

It had been a long time since Inuyasha had flown through the streets without his car or his bike. The treaty had basically outlawed this kind of youkai travel, save for emergency situations. Youkai speed and power had led to incessant robberies, so youkai were largely limited to human transportation options. But Kagome was in danger, and Inuyasha didn’t give a fuck.

He reached the school in record time and without any interruptions from the Metro PD. He tried the door, and to his incredible anger, the door was unlocked. He checked the time on his phone: 8:00. Parents would start arriving any minute to pick up their kids from class. He had to do this quickly, and controlled. He had to get his youki in check, fast.

Inuyasha took a deep breath and gently opened the door, hearing the doorbell ping. Kagome’s aura unfurled from the tatami dojo, tentatively exploring the school to see who was there. He smirked and let out a little of his youki, letting her know it was him.

But when her aura came into contact with his youki, Inuyasha felt a massive jolt of electricity that ran from the tips of his fingers all the way through to his toes. He grunted and collapsed to his knees, feeling the shock infiltrate every inch of his body. His nerves were singing with the light of her soul reaching his; he’d been turned on like the brightest light bulb, and he burned from the spiritual contact between them.

Kagome must have felt it too, because she pulled back frantically; the sudden removal of her aura left Inuyasha’s hair singed and sticking out in all different directions, and his brain fried. His entire body tensed up; his eyes rolled back into his head, and he fell over on the rug, momentarily knocked out.

When he opened his eyes, Kagome was there, standing over him, a worried look on her face. “Matsushita-san?” she said tentatively. “Are you okay?”

Inuyasha groaned and made to sit up. Kagome knelt to help him, but for some reason, she pulled back. “What the _fuck_?” he moaned, rubbing his hands over his face. Kagome looked stricken, but remained silent.

“Why—why did you call me here again, Higurashi?” he fumbled.

“I need your nose,” she replied shyly, not quite looking him in the face. “Someone…was here. A human. No reiki or youki signature, but I could tell…someone was here.”

Inuyasha continued rubbing his face in an effort to pull himself together. “You’re sure, Higurashi?” he asked hoarsely. She nodded. He dragged himself to his feet and immediately began scenting the air, walking around the room slowly, focused on the door. The only scents that were fresh were his own, Kagome’s, and… _hold on_.

“You’re right, Higurashi,” Inuyasha said slowly, trying to make sure it was his youki talking, and not whatever insane thing had just happened to his soul. “There are only three scents here that are fresh. Yours, mine, and an unknown male.” He looked at her, hard. “Do you think a parent might have come in, saw that class wasn’t over, and left?”

Kagome mulled over this possibility. “Sure, but…how do I say this? The aura that was left in the person’s wake…it wasn’t kind.”

Inuyasha nodded. He knew exactly what she meant. The scent had a darkness to it that she must have also been picking up on through the person’s residual aura.

“How about this?” Inuyasha said gruffly. “How about if I wait here while the parents pick up the students? We’ll see if the scent shows up again.”

Kagome looked at him, her blue-gray eyes full of gratitude. “I would appreciate it, Matsushita-san.”

Inuyasha smiled, his amber eyes ablaze, holding Kagome steady. She returned his gaze, her eyes a steel-gray trap that locked him in.

He was so…so…Kagome was having trouble focusing on anything other than his eyes. His face. His adorable, twitchy, dog ears that she just wanted to slip between her fingers and gently stroke. His fangs dipping beneath his lips. How would they feel, scraping over her neck, sinking into her breasts…?

Oh, _gods_. She was on fire again.

“Higurashi-sensei?” came a tentative voice from behind them. Kagome yelped and spun around; Inuyasha shook his head quickly and immediately looked anywhere but at Kagome.

“Sugawara-kun?” Kagome said.

A young man of about sixteen stepped into the hallway, his dark eyes lined with concern. “Higurashi-sensei,” he said again, “is everything all right out here?”

Kagome froze, then collected herself, then starting laughing, because why not look insane in front of her student?

“Everything’s fine, Sugawara-kun,” Kagome replied, still giggling and wishing she could get her shit together. “This is Matsushita Inuyasha with the NPA. He’s going to check us out tonight.”

Inuyasha helpfully flashed his badge at the young man.

“Did you get your bodies put together properly?” Kagome asked Sugawara-kun. Inuyasha looked at her, horrified.

“Yes,” Sugawara-kun replied. “We need you to check them over.”

“Okay,” Kagome said. “I’ll be right there.” She turned back to Inuyasha. “I’ll just be a minute,” she started to say, then noticed the mystified look on his face. “What’s the matter?” she asked.

“What do your students _do_ , exactly, in class?” replied Inuyasha, in shock.

Kagome thought for a moment, then realized what she had said. She burst into a fit of laughter again, now also causing Inuyasha to think she’d gone mad.

“It’s Intro to Healing,” she explained. “They’re learning anatomy. I had them practice levitation while putting some dummies I found back together.”

Inuyasha let out a short bark of laughter. “Clever,” he said. She glowed under his praise, and he felt his heart stop beating for at least three seconds.

“I’ll be back,” she said. “If you don’t mind, please sit at the desk? The sign-out sheet should be where Kouga left it.”

He grimaced at the thought of sitting in the mangy wolf’s chair, but did as he was told while Kagome went back to finish up her class. One by one, the parents began to trickle in; more than one made a comment that he wasn’t the Lord of East (and they had that fucking right), but when he flashed his badge and let loose his youki, they seemed satisfied.

Again, the whole Prince of the West thing would have been super helpful here.

Promptly at 8:15, the class filed out of the tatami dojo and down the hall, Kagome talking quietly with them the entire way. She smiled and dismissed her students, taking the time to speak individually with the parents, even for just a few seconds, before they left. Inuyasha dutifully had each parent sign out their student, which gave him the perfect opportunity to scent everyone.

No one matched the scent that still lingered around the front door, a scent that seemed so familiar, yet just out of his reach.

Where had he smelled it before?

* * *

“How many?” the low voice asked.

Bankotsu grimaced. “Twelve in total. It’s gonna be tough, though. The Lord of the East is the bouncer, and now the NPA is sniffing around the joint.”

His boss frowned. “You sure this is a good idea, Bankotsu? Why not just take the miko?”

“Because,” Bankotsu replied, trying not to let the frustration seep into his voice, “do you even know who she is? Do you know what she’s done? What she’s capable of? It’s gonna be a shitshow if we take her. And I don’t even know if we can. She’s got wolf and dog youkai around her basically every hour of every day.” He paused. “This is the better option. We get her out in the open, alone, this way. We avoid the national spotlight for as long as we can.”

“And you don’t think any of our others can do it?” his boss asked, his frown deepening.

“Fuck, boss, I’ve tried!” Bankotsu said. “The only ones who have come close are the ones who studied with her. I’ve got a new subject prepping, who knows her well. But really, we’ve got to get to the source; I’m telling you, it’s the only way this will work.”

His boss leaned back in his chair. “If we do this,” he said slowly, “we get in, and we get out, fast. Then once we get her, we get what we need from her, and we kill her. We won’t be able to afford to keep her alive. If it gets out that we have her, it will put an end to our cause.”

Bankotsu nodded. “It’s gonna take planning. I’ll have the rest of the guys watch her, and watch the others. See if we can figure out a schedule, a pattern to their movements.”

“Good.” His boss unfolded and folded his hands repeatedly.

“In the meantime,” Bankotsu said nervously, “what about our current subjects?”

“Have they been useful?” asked his boss.

Bankotsu shook his head.

His boss’ eyes gleamed red. “Then take what you need from them, and kill them.”

Bankotsu nodded and excused himself from the room. He walked down the darkened hallway to the empty stairwell. Once there, he slammed his fist into the wall angrily.

This was _his_ project, _his_ baby. While the boss conceived of the idea and brought in the materials, Bankotsu and his team had been the ones to figure it out. They were the ones down there, every day, dealing with the subjects and trying to make the plan work for everyone. Bankotsu certainly believed in his boss’ cause, but he also believed in science, and in getting results. The cause was for naught if he couldn’t produce results. The boss knew it, and Bankotsu knew it, and damn if his boss wasn’t reminding him of this _all the time_.

At first it had been hard, trying to understand how the materials should be working together, and how to channel the subjects’ abilities. That part he was getting the hang of. But the subjects just kept…dying. Like they couldn’t withstand the tests.

He needed someone who could. And when he’d found her, he realized she was the answer to everything.

His eyes narrowed. He would get his hands on her. He would use her to fulfill his dreams.

And then, yes, he would kill her.

Bankotsu strode down the hall to his “office” and unlocked the door. There, laying on several metal tables, were all the subjects save the newest one (who was still being prepped), bound and in varying states of consciousness. He went to the one labeled “Yamamoto Sara;” so far, she and Ishikawa had been the only ones to withstand the last round of testing. But even she was beginning to fail.

Sara opened her eyes when she heard footfalls on the metal floor. She was _so_ tired; she could barely make out the tall form looming over her, but she still knew who it was.

“What do you want now?” she murmured. “I’m tired.” She closed her eyes and tried to turn her head to the side, away from him.

Bankotsu tried not to be rough with the subjects; he knew it could further weaken them. But he was enraged and needed answers. He grabbed Sara by the chin and turned her face to meet his; he leered over her, willing her to open her eyes and look at him. When she finally did, her eyes were straining and unfocused.

“Now,” he hissed, “tell me everything you know about the miko Higurashi Kagome.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What will happen to Kagome? How will Inuyasha (and Sango, who remember is on her way) try to convince Kagome that she needs protection? And, what other side effects will Inuyasha start to experience? Find out in the next update, and as always, thank you all, so very much, for reading!


	12. Stoking the Fires

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha knows that Kagome is keeping something from him, and they both experience... _interesting_...side effects. Miroku emphasizes to Kagome the importance of telling Inuyasha the truth, and soon. Inuyasha and Kagome examine another victim, and have a chat about Sesshomaru.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime,.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that you are all safe and doing well.
> 
> Thank you so, so much for all the kudos, comments, and bookmarks! I've been doing _a lot_ of writing, and just passed the 100k mark in the drafting of this story. Things are starting to come together, and I hope you enjoy this extra long chapter! 
> 
> This chapter has sexual content and the description of a dead body.

Kagome tossed and turned on her futon, unable to sleep. She had arrived at Sango and Miroku’s under protest; Inuyasha had either wanted her to stay with him, or to stay by her, but she wanted to stay by herself, because she was a grown-ass woman who happened to be a very powerful miko, or did people keep forgetting this?

Sango’s arrival at the school had been, of course, nothing short of dramatic. She flew through the doors as the parents and students were leaving, flashing her badge, asking if anyone had seen anything suspicious outside the school—which, if the school was going to close, this was a _perfect way_ to get that to happen (thanks, Sango!). Luckily, Kagome and Inuyasha managed to calm her down. Inuyasha explained that he had the scent, and he checked all the parents, but there was not a match. They argued back and forth with Kagome for what seemed like forever over what to do, but Kagome refused to do anything without talking to Miroku first. And so, they ended up at Sango and Miroku’s, sitting around the kitchen table, trying not to have a heated argument over their financial futures as the twins lay sleeping a few doors down.

In the end, Kagome and Miroku decided to purchase a security system, complete with cameras, and Kagome agreed to ask Kouga to stick around a little later. He usually needed to leave by 7:30 or so to check on the club before the night crowds picked up, but Kagome said she would ask him to stay until 8, the earliest Inuyasha could get there. On the nights where she, Miroku, and Kaede worked late, Inuyasha would meet them and escort Kagome home, while Miroku would take Kaede (who only lived a few blocks from Miroku and Sango). It was a good plan—Kagome could admit this—but _fuck_ , if it didn’t leave her feeling like a teenage girl who’d been grounded.

And then, to make matters worse, Sango looked at the clock, saw the time, and insisted that Kagome stay the night. They had a futon in the office they could lay out, Sango said, and she had clothes for Kagome to sleep in. But the real kicker was when Sango made Kagome give Inuyasha her apartment keys, so he could feed Buyo for her in the morning, plus pick up some fresh clothes for her to wear.

“I’m going home first thing in the morning, Sango!” Kagome had protested.

“Fuck off,” Sango replied shortly. “You’re staying here, Kagome-chan, and Matsushita will feed your damn cat and pick up some clothes for you. We need you at the station in the morning.” Sango gave Inuyasha a pointed look; he sighed, but held out his hand for her key. Kagome slammed it into his hand, ignoring the rush of desire that penetrated her very being, and then took off for the office, shutting the shoji screen behind her.

She heard them talking for a bit, and felt their auras still moving around the kitchen. Miroku in particular kept checking on her to see if she was awake. _Yes, I’m awake, now fuck off!_ she wanted to scream, but because she wasn’t in her house, and because there were children sleeping, she had to settle for being grumpy on a lumpy futon. And she made sure to let him know that.

But it wasn’t Miroku’s aura that keeping her awake. Or even her own anger at being treated like a child. It was Matsushita Inuyasha, just down the hall, talking softly with their friends, most likely about her and how to protect her. She could just make out the low, rumbly tones of his voice; it washed over her, caressing her core, tugging at her nerves, making her body sing with each lilt and grumble. Just listening to him talk made her breathy and warm; she found it increasingly hard to concentrate with him close by.

And then he was outside the door. She could sense his hesitation, then heard him call her name softly.

“Higurashi.”

And just like that, her entire body tingled and pulsed, arousal slamming into her as his deep, luscious voice emphasized the first syllable in her name, then pulled her more deeply into the depths of desire as it traveled over the last three syllables. She flushed hotly and clenched her thighs together.

Fire. She was on fire.

“Higurashi.”

Fuck. He was doing it again.

Kagome dragged herself off the futon, fanned her face to try and not look like she was in the middle of a hot flash, and threw open the screen.

His youki was so strong it nearly knocked her over. She steadied herself by holding onto the screen. His amber eyes locked onto her blue-gray ones; they were full of concern: tender, gentle.

“You okay?” he asked her quite seriously. She realized she was not only clutching the screen, but she was also shaking.

“I’m fine,” she said shortly, trying not to swoon at his overwhelming youki, scent, voice… just, all of him, really. _Is this what Sango meant by the side effects “getting worse?”_

“I’m going home,” he told her. “I’ll be back first thing in the morning. I’ll feed Buyo and pick up some clothes for you.”

“You don’t have to do that,” she said immediately. “I can feed him when I get home. And I really don’t want you going through my things.” She blushed at the thought of him going through her underwear drawer, mostly because there was nothing there _worth_ looking at.

Oh, gods. What was she becoming?

He blushed slightly too, picking up on her discomfort. “It’s okay,” he said gruffly. “Nothing I haven’t seen before. I won’t pick out anything too obscene.”

He’d tried to make a joke—she could tell, she really could—but it came out all wrong to Kagome. She was convinced her face should just rebrand itself as a tomato, what with all the blushing she did around him. He could sense her aura drop.

“Thanks, Matsushita-san,” she simply said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” And she closed the shoji screen.

Kagome waited until she was sure he was gone before stumbling back to the futon. She buried her face into the pillow, allowing the tears to flow in crazy gasps and sobs. How could she tell him he was her soulmate? _He must think I’m insane_ , she thought. _After tonight, if he doesn’t, then_ he’s _the crazy one_.

In fact, the more Kagome thought about it, the more she was convinced there was no way he was going to respond well to the realization that they were fated to be together. He was a strong, handsome ( _beautiful_ , really) hanyou; she was an okay-looking, but very powerful, miko. That right there was a good reason not to be together. But the gods had, for some reason, decreed that they should be together. _Why_? What was it about Matsushita Inuyasha that made them appropriate soulmates?

Kagome knew it was useless to think about the whys of soulmating. The gods had decreed it, and thus, she had to obey. This was her one shot at finding her person, _the_ person, who she would be connected to, forever. And she had found him, and in her eyes, he was perfect. Just the thought of his molten, fiery eyes made her panties damp and her thighs clench tighter. Imagining his fangs pricking her skin, his claws tracing her spine…Kagome got even wetter just thinking about everything she wanted him to do to her. Things she had never even thought of allowing another person to do to her. Not even Hojo; not even Kouga.

She groaned into her pillow and rolled over, staring at the ceiling.

Tomorrow. She would tell him tomorrow.

* * *

Inuyasha let himself into Kagome’s apartment early the next morning, removing his shoes in the genkan and looking around for the cat. When Buyo heard the apartment door close, he ambled into the washitsu, looking for all the world like he was lord of the manor, not a kitty cat who needed someone to feed him.

“Morning, Buyo,” Inuyasha greeted the cat. Buyo sauntered over to Inuyasha and rubbed his jeans affectionately in reply.

Inuyasha bent over and picked up the cat, grunting a little under the cat’s heft. “She definitely doesn’t underfeed _you_ , does she?” he said. Buyo meowed in reply and jumped down from Inuyasha’s arms. He chuckled as he got out the cat food, then went into the washitsu to retrieve Buyo’s dishes.

As he stood over the sink and washed out the cat’s bowls, Inuyasha thought back to the night before. He was terrified to think that someone had gotten into the school without their knowledge, and that they had no idea why that person entered the school to begin with. Kagome had been smart to call him first; he’d been able to commit the scent of the intruder to memory without having to sort through other scents from parents or other people. He would keep that scent close in his memory, because _fuck_ , he knew that he had smelled it somewhere else before, and _fuck_ , he was going to figure out where.

Inuyasha served up the cat’s meal in the washitsu; as Buyo eagerly attacked his breakfast, Inuyasha went into Kagome’s bedroom to get her some fresh clothes.

He had to admit; he kind of wished Sango had gotten this job, or had allowed him to pick up Kagome before stopping at her apartment. But Inuyasha absolutely understood Sango’s reasoning; without the pretense of stopping home for clothes, Kagome would be entirely dependent on Inuyasha all day. She couldn’t insist that he leave once he got her home. Instead, she could tag along with him on his duties, which didn’t consist of much on a Saturday, but there was one, lingering, thing he needed to do, and he was honestly grateful he would have the company.

Her bedroom was full of her scent: vanilla and lavender, and soft, sweet, and lingering. It was lovely; he wanted to bask in it for as long as he could. Inuyasha went to Kagome’s closet first; her clothes were simple, mostly consisting of tight black pants, long cardigans, blazers, and dresses. He selected a pair of black pants, not unlike the ones she had worn the day before. Then he went to her dresser to see what other options she had there.

 _Ah, fuck_. He opened her underwear drawer first. He hadn’t even looked in it yet, but her scent was suddenly overpowering, and only in her underwear drawer would it be this strong and this cloying. He paused for a moment, gathering his strength, and trying not to let his instincts take over.

 _Don’t be weird_ , he told himself. _It’s just underwear. Don’t be weird_.

And then he did it: he was weird.

He stuck his entire face in her underwear drawer and inhaled. And _fuck_ , it was _fucking glorious_. Her vanilla and lavender scent hung heavy over the tiny pieces of clothing, causing him to see stars. He was running his hands over the silky fabric, but it wasn’t enough. His cock was rock-hard; he wanted nothing more than to open his jeans and jerk off until he came all over her panties, covering them with his scent, laying claim to her.

Okay, so that was _really_ weird, right?

 _Fuck_. He needed to get himself under control, and fast.

Inuyasha reached into the drawer and pulled out a pair of underwear, not really paying attention to them at all. He grabbed a bra, too, and then slammed the drawer shut, effectively cutting off most of her scent. He collapsed on the tatami, breathing hard, fighting the desire to go back and do that again.

Oh gods.

He frantically opened another drawer.

Sweaters.

Great.

He yanked out the first one he saw, stuffed everything into a duffel bag, and raced out of her room. He hurriedly slipped on his shoes in the genkan, said, “See ya, Buyo,” and burst out of the door, banging it shut and locking it. He turned and leaned against the wall, sinking down so he was sitting on his haunches. He groaned inwardly, hanging his head between his knees.

_What the fuck was happening to him?_

* * *

Inuyasha sat in his car down the street from Sango and Miroku’s home in Katsushika-ku, thinking. He couldn’t believe what he had done. He had fucking inhaled a woman’s panties like they were gold dust, and he had loved every second of it. No, more than loved…he was obsessed. He had wanted to grab a pair, shove them in his pocket, and save them for later so he could do it again. To savor her scent, to keep it close, to keep _her_ close.

He’d never been this insane about anyone. Not even Kikyo.

He took a deep breath. _Fuck. Kikyo_. He had barely thought of her these past few days. And that was good, because honestly, he needed to _not_ think about her.

She was a miko. Like Kagome. She had lured him in with sweet words, promises and visions of a future where they could be together and happy. She promised she could help control his instincts, even make him human, if he so desired.

Which he didn’t, really, but she was so kind to him, and so caring, and so thoughtful. He would have done anything for her.

They’d been together for a few years. They kissed, they did a little more, but that was it. Inuyasha was fine with that. He was patient. He’d lived a long time, and he’d done just about everything with a woman he could want. So it wasn’t about the sex, or the promise of sex, with Kikyo. It was about the promise of love, of building a life together. Of being together, for as long as they could.

But then she had told him that she couldn’t be with him. That she could never be with him, because she had met her soulmate. And it wasn’t him. And—and this was the real kicker—she had always known that it wasn’t him.

He had a vague understanding of soulmates from his own parents, who had apparently been soulmates, and from Miroku and Sango. He didn't know much about his parents, but he knew Miroku and Sango met, years ago, as teenagers, and that they always knew that they were fated to be together. He didn’t quite understand _how_ soulmates worked; he just knew that they existed. So when Kikyo told him they weren’t soulmates, and that she’d always known, he was confused. Why would she waste her time with someone, if she knew it could never go anywhere?

He’d been angry; she cried a lot. She really loved him, she insisted, and that was why she had been willing to overlook the fact that they weren’t soulmates. And, Kikyo explained, she had doubted she’d ever meet her real soulmate. But then she did, and things fell into place for her, and apart for Inuyasha. Kikyo could not deny what the gods decreed. He couldn’t blame her for that; he really couldn’t. So she left and married the man very quickly, within a matter of weeks, and so far as Inuyasha knew, lost her abilities.

All he was left with were the memories, the scents, the feelings.

When he met Kagome, all of that faded quickly. Kikyo became a part of some other life he once lived: his life before Kagome. How did that seem so long ago, when he had really only known Kagome a week or so? Everything before she came into his life seemed bleak, colorless, dark. Everything after her was alive, vibrant, and joyous. Even though they were in the middle of what could very well be a serial killer case, and even though he couldn’t be sure how she felt about him, he desperately wanted to be all in with her. But how could he tell her this without freaking her out? Without being sure of her own feelings in return?

Inuyasha got out of the car, grabbed the bag he’d prepared for her, and walked down the block to the house, shoving any romantic thoughts about Higurashi Kagome to the side for now. Miroku and Sango’s home was tall and narrow; it was two stories and unattached, which was rare for the area. Katsushika-ku wasn’t the most exciting place to live, but it was quiet, and the prices were affordable. Most importantly, it was close to the school, and only about 45 minutes for Sango to travel by train to NPA headquarters in Chiyoda-ku, even less by car.

Inuyasha went to the wall surrounding the home and rang the bell, nervously shifting from one foot to the other. The intercom clicked and Sango’s muffled voice came through the receiver.

“ _Ah, Matsushita,”_ she exclaimed, “ _it’s you! Hold on_.”

He heard some scuffling, then the call cut off. He tried to peer over the wall to see who might come to the gate to let him in. A warm masculine scent filled his nose as Miroku came outside and opened the gate.

“Good morning, Matsushita,” he said, unlatching the gate and letting him in.

“Morning, bouzo,” Inuyasha grunted in reply.

“You’re in a cheery mood today,” Miroku commented, leading him into the house. Inuyasha, still thinking about what he’d done in Kagome’s apartment that morning, just growled at him.

“Good morning, Matsushita,” called Sango from the kitchen when they entered the genkan and slipped off their shoes. She was standing at the cooktop, preparing breakfast. Akemi and Akari were lounging in front of the television at the kotatsu, passing an ayatori between them absently.

“Inuyasha is fine, Murasaki,” Inuyasha replied.

“Then Sango is fine, _Inuyasha_.” He could hear the smile in her voice and rolled his eyes.

“Where’s Higurashi?” Inuyasha asked, coming into the combination living, dining, and cooking space. He held up her duffel. “I brought clothes for her.” Red creeped into his cheeks at the thought again of his morning activities.

Sango jerked her head to the first-floor washitsu surrounded by screens. “Still asleep.” She grinned. “You should go wake her up.”

Inuyasha grunted and muttered something under his breath.

“No way, partner,” said Sango, understanding him perfectly well. “You should go. I’m in the middle of making breakfast. Don’t want it to burn.”

“Don’t look at me,” Miroku said, joining his daughters at the kotatsu and taking the ayatori from Akemi. “I value my life and my partnership with Kagome way too much.”

“Fine,” Inuyasha grumbled. He hefted the duffel over his shoulder and slid open the shoji screen, going into the office. He pulled it closed after him.

Miroku looked up at his wife and grinned. “So when do you think she will tell him?” he asked her.

Sango rolled her eyes. “This is Kagome we’re talking about, remember? She’ll put it off for as long as she can.”

Miroku frowned. “She better not. Those side effects are no joke. For either of them.” He grinned at Sango. “Do you remember when you had that dream when we first started dating and I was sleeping over? Before—” he looked down at his daughters “— _you know_.” His grin slowly became a smirk. “And you woke me up to—”

“ _Breakfast is ready, girls!_ ” Sango suddenly shouted, drowning him out. The girls got up and ran into the kitchen to sit at the table, Miroku following, still working the ayatori in his hands. “Don’t talk about that in front of our _children_ , Miroku,” she hissed.

Miroku sighed and looked at the closed shoji screen. “I hope she tells him soon,” he said to Sango. He shuddered. “For all our sakes.”

* * *

Inuyasha closed the shoji screen, cutting himself off from the rest of the main part of the first floor of the house. He looked down at the futon, situated between the desk and the bookcase, where Kagome lay, fast asleep, but breathing heavily. He could hear her heart pounding and see her eyes moving under her eyelids. She was grunting and fisting the blankets as she slid around on the futon. She was dreaming.

At first, he hesitated to get close to her, in fear that he might wake her, and he knew it was never a good idea to wake someone from a bad dream too forcefully. But then he was hit with the scent of her arousal—spicy, like a hint of cinnamon mixed with her usual lavender and vanilla smell—and he rushed forward, dropping to his knees beside her. He wanted more than anything to touch her, to feel her, to kiss her, to taste her, but yet still he held back. What if he wasn’t the one she was dreaming about? What if something else was happening, and if she opened her eyes to him, she would freak out?

Then she rolled over to face him, and her scent spiked. He struggled to keep his youki under control; it was howling that he should take her in his arms, crush her to him, and bask in that glorious scent. He had half reached for her—why was it so fucking hard to leave her alone?—and then she scrunched up her face and let out a tiny whisper.

“ _Inuyasha_.”

It was breathy, pleasurable, lustful. As though she was climaxing. Because she was. He could see it on her face; he could smell it on the air.

Inuyasha lost all sense of self-control at that point and lowered himself so they were face-to-face. Her hot breath tickled his cheeks; he could feel the warmth radiating off her beautiful face. He had never even thought about stealing a kiss from a sleeping woman, but yet, here he was, centimeters away from her lips, her arousal and sweet aura drawing him in. And because the morning hadn’t been weird enough, why the fuck not?

“Kagome,” he whispered, and moved in to kiss her.

Her eyes shot open at the sound of her name. She blinked, and he came into focus.

“Matsushita-san?” she asked tentatively. He nodded. She shrieked and practically flew to the other side of the futon, blankets pulled up to cover her body.

“What are you _doing_ in here?” she exclaimed, her face bright red and her eyes frantic.

“I think the better question is,” he said, climbing onto the futon beside her, “what are _you_ doing in here?” He shot her a fanged grin and moved closer.

“Me?” she said weakly. He nodded and tapped his nose once, still descending on her.

 _He knows_.

 _Oh, fuck, fuck, FUCK_.

Kagome elegantly ducked under his arms and hopped to the other side of the room, her arms crossed over her breasts, her body twisted so he couldn’t see her underwear.

It didn’t matter. He didn’t have to see it. He could smell _everything_.

“Good dreams?” he drawled, rising gamely from the futon and picking up the duffel from where he dropped it on the floor. He held it out to her, still grinning.

She took it. “They were fine,” she mumbled, not meeting his gaze.

“If those were 'fine' dreams, Higurashi,” he said, his fangs dipping below his lower lip in anticipation, “I’d love to know what dreams you consider ‘incredible.’”

She glowered at him. “Why are you here?”

He pointed at the duffel. “Those are your clothes,” he told her. “Get cleaned up and get dressed. Breakfast is ready. You and I are going on assignment today.”

She clutched the bag to her chest, clearly still reeling from the events of the past few minutes. “Assignment?” she repeated in a small, confused voice.

“Murasaki is off today,” he said. “I’m off tomorrow. I need you to confirm the victim’s miko spiritual status at the station. Then, you and I are going to visit my bastard half-brother. I think you know him already. Matsushita Sesshomaru.”

Kagome frowned. “That—that—that _ass_ is your brother?” she asked darkly.

He chuckled. “Half-brother, and yes, he’s an ass.”

“Why are we going to see him?” she queried.

Inuyasha paused. “Get dressed,” he said again. “We’ll talk over breakfast.” He turned to leave, opened the shoji screen, then turned back to her. “Take a _really_ good shower,” he advised her, smirking madly. He slammed the screen shut.

Kagome stood there, her mouth agape, for a good few minutes before she pulled herself together. _Oh gods_. She was so fucking embarrassed.

The dream she’d been having was _wonderful_. This time, the hands had been running all over her body, tweaking her nipples, rubbing her small bundle of nerves between her thighs, bringing her to the brink. This time, though, Dream Inuyasha (which was basically what she decided to call him) had pressed himself to her. She’d felt his… _thing_ …against her thigh, then he started to rub himself against her. And holy _fuck,_ she had never even seen a penis in real life, much less touched one, but for some reason, she felt like her dream captured it perfectly, and it was magnificent. She had cum all over his cock, clinging to him and whispering his name, and he had begun to press into her…

Then she opened her eyes and there was real Inuyasha, inches from her face, his beautiful eyes closed, ready to kiss her.

And what had she done? She had screamed and run away, like a fool. Like a fucking 15-year old, little girl, fool.

Kagome stood in the middle of office, clutching her duffel bag so tightly her knuckles were turning white.

He had been so close to kissing her. Deep down, if she could admit it, she knew that she wanted him to kiss her—madly, deeply, passionately, crushingly—but she also knew that it would have ruined _everything_.

She didn’t know what would happen when they kissed, but if it was anything like when they touched, she was going to soak through her panties _and_ whatever else she was wearing over them, and she would have little-to-no control over her actions once it happened. She had no idea how it would impact him, or his youki, and honestly, that scared her a little. She could already tell he was maybe attracted to her. He definitely hung around her like a lost puppy, and he seemed to enjoy her company, when he wasn’t giving her a hard time. The way that he threw his youki around, she knew that his instincts were strong and he might not be able to resist if they got too close again. She had to tell him, before the side effects took over completely. But she needed to do it when she wasn’t so… _so_ …

 _Fuck,_ she thought bleakly. _I need a cold shower. And fast_.

* * *

By the time Kagome got herself cleaned up and out into the kitchen, the girls had already eaten, and Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha were seated at the kitchen table, drinking coffee and talking quietly. She joined them at the table.

“Breakfast, Kagome-chan?” asked Sango gently. Kagome nodded, and Sango rose to make a tray for her.

“So, Inuyasha tells me you’re going to pay a visit to headquarters, and then go visit Sesshomaru,” Miroku said.

Kagome nodded as Sango set down a traditional breakfast and a steaming coffee for her. “Thanks, Sango-chan,” she said gratefully. “Matsushita-san asked me to check the victim’s reiki.”

“You were such a big help last time, Kagome-chan,” said Sango, sitting beside her friend and smiling. “I’m sure you’ll be able to help again.”

“Speaking of which…” Inuyasha pulled out his phone and looked at the time. “We need to get going, Higurashi. Finish your breakfast.” He turned his fiery eyes on her, and she swore she started to melt away. Her body was hot— _so hot_ —and burning. She actually lifted her hands to make sure she wasn’t on fire. It was bad that she still couldn’t tell.

Kagome saw stars, and then everything turned black.

“Kagome-chan?”

“Kagome?”

The next thing she knew, Sango and Miroku were hovering over her anxiously, Sango patting her hand, Miroku pressing a cool cloth to her forehead.

She blinked her eyes. “Miroku? Sango-chan?” She groaned and realized she had fallen out of her chair. She made to sit up; Miroku helped her. She noticed Inuyasha standing off to the side, his arms crossed, his golden eyes filled with concern.

“What happened, Kagome?” Miroku asked.

She rubbed her eyes. “I don’t know? One minute Matsushita-san was saying we have to get going, and then I felt hot and…I passed out?”

Miroku and Sango exchanged a concerned glance. “Here, let’s get you up,” Sango said. She and Miroku helped Kagome to her feet.

“Maybe I just need to eat,” Kagome said, feeling a little wobbly on her feet and sitting back down. “I didn’t have any dinner last night.”

“Maybe that’s it,” Sango said soothingly, getting her friend a cup of coffee. She set the coffee cup down, then turned to her husband and nodded once. “Inuyasha,” she said, looking at her partner, “will you come to the office with me? We need to talk about a few things before you leave for the day.”

“But Higurashi—”

“—will be fine,” Miroku interrupted smoothly. “I will make sure she eats and is ready to go in fifteen minutes. I know you have things to do today.”

Inuyasha looked like he wanted to say more, but grumbled an affirmative and followed Sango into the office. Miroku waited until Sango shut the screen, and then sat down beside his friend. “How are you really feeling, Kagome?” he asked her quietly. When she made to reply, he interrupted her. “No,” he added. “Sango told me.”

Kagome felt all the color drain from her face. “She did?”

He nodded. “How long have you been having side effects?”

Kagome sighed. “For the past few days. But this is the first time I passed out. Mostly it’s been…” _oh gods, did she have to explain this to him?_ “…mostly it’s been dreams. And his scent.” She paused, trying to figure out the best words to use. “It’s…overpowering.” She thought some more. “And the way that he looks at me.” She shivered. “I think…I think that’s maybe why I passed out.”

Miroku inhaled sharply. “What happened?”

“When he said that I needed to finish my breakfast so we could leave, he _looked_ at me, and I swear…” again Kagome searched for the right words “…it was like my whole body caught fire, Miroku, and I started to…to _melt_ …or something.”

“And then you passed out,” he finished. She nodded lamely. Miroku sighed. “Kagome,” he said, “you _have_ to tell him.”

Kagome took a bite of some rice and grilled fish. She chewed carefully, and swallowed—Miroku watching her carefully the whole time. She put her chopsticks down. “I know,” she said. “Today. I will tell him today.”

Miroku grabbed her hands and squeezed them so she winced. “How long has it been since you touched him for the first time, Kagome?”

Kagome ripped her hands out of Miroku’s and brought them to her lap, playing with them idly. “I don’t know…maybe a week?”

Miroku now openly gaped at her. “It’s only been a week, and you’re fainting and having wet dreams? Fuck, Kagome, if you don’t tell him today, I don’t know what’s going to happen to you.”

She looked at him in a panic. “What do you mean?”

“When Sango and I first met, there was this…inexplicable pull towards each other that we couldn’t deny,” he replied. “We didn’t try to, either. I knew immediately from my training that she was my soul mate, and I told her right away, so she didn’t think she was losing her mind. She had side effects similar to yours, and I…” he blushed a little. “Let’s just say I was _very_ aroused, basically all the time.”

 _Ugh_. “Too much information, Miroku.”

“My point is,” he continued, “he is undoubtedly feeling side effects, but probably has no idea why. So you need to…”

“Tell him,” Kagome finished with a sigh. “I get it.”

“This is bigger than you and your hang-ups, my dear,” Miroku said affectionately. “You need to get over yourself and follow your heart. _For once_.”

Kagome took a bite of tsukemono. “Okay,” she said with a sigh. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to tell him while we’re in the middle of a murder investigation, but I’ll figure it out.”

“You better,” he said. “Or who knows what the next side effects will be?”

* * *

When Inuyasha and Sango emerged from the office, Kagome had finished eating, and she and Miroku were talking quietly about the school. Inuyasha frowned. Kagome seemed better; she offered him a small smile when he and Sango joined them at the kitchen table, then she went back to watching Akemi and Akari, who were playing with some dolls by the kotatsu.

“All right, Higurashi?” Inuyasha asked her.

Kagome hummed, not taking her eyes off the girls.

“Kagome,” said Sango. Kagome blinked and looked up at her friend. “Are you ready?” Kagome blushed; the question was laced with hidden meaning.

“Yes, Sango-chan,” Kagome replied, “I’m sorry.” She stood and went to get her bag. Miroku looked at Inuyasha.

“Be patient with her today,” he said. “She’s not herself.”

Inuyasha shuddered, thinking about his morning. “Neither am I. So we’ll be fine.”

Miroku smiled thinly. “Protect her, please.”

Inuyasha nodded as Kagome rejoined them in the kitchen. He looked down at her; her long dark hair was loose over her shoulders; the sweater he’d rashly selected was gray, slightly cropped, and threatened to hang off one of her shoulders. Her tight black pants and black flats completed the look. He sighed; she looked amazing, but maybe not quite appropriate for police work. He realized with a twinge that he’d dressed her more for a date than a visit with his bastard half-brother. He realized with even more of a twinge that he wished that’s what they were doing.

“Let’s go,” he said to her shortly. He turned to Sango. “Try to make this a real day off, okay? I’ll call you with updates only. You are under orders not to come to headquarters unless it’s an emergency. Because tomorrow you’re on your own.”

Sango smiled gratefully. “Thanks, partner. I hope all goes well today.” She reached out and hugged Kagome. “ _Tell him_ ,” she breathed in her friend’s ear. Kagome squeezed her tighter in response. Inuyasha stilled; he’d heard what Sango said.

“See you,” Kagome said gamely to Sango and Miroku. “Bye-bye, girls!” she called to Akemi and Akari, much more loudly.

“Bye, Kagome-oba-chan! Bye, Inuyasha-oji-chan!” the girls called.

Kagome followed Inuyasha out to the sidewalk and down the block to his car. “Thanks,” she said softly when they reached it, opening the door and sliding into the passenger seat.

Inuyasha settled into the driver’s seat. “What for?”

“For looking out for me,” she said softly. “I’m not good at asking for help.”

“You did the right thing last night, Higurashi,” he said, more roughly than he intended. He put the car in drive and pulled into the street. He made his way out to the highway and got onto Route 6, which would put them in Chiyoda in about twenty minutes.

“I’m glad you think so,” she said. “I really didn’t want that scent to be taken over by all the parents who came in. Now you’ll know it in case we run into the person again.”

“It’s a male, for sure,” he said, “and I feel like I’ve encountered the scent somewhere before. I just can’t remember where.”

“Tokyo is a big city,” replied Kagome. “You can’t remember the scent of every person you run into on the street.”

“No,” Inuyasha answered, “this felt like much more. But it’ll come to me. Are you ready to see my asshole brother today?” he asked, changed the subject.

Kagome snorted. “Your brother may have signed the Human-Youkai Treaty, but between you and me? He would have rather died than done it, I think.”

Inuyasha began to laugh. “He _hates_ humans, Higurashi.”

“How is it that you and he are even brothers?” she asked.

“His mother and our father…it was a political match, not a love one,” Inuyasha said slowly. “He was married to her when he met my mother.”

“So he had an affair with your mother?” Kagome was surprised.

“My parents were soulmates,” Inuyasha answered. “My mother had some spiritual power. Not a lot, but enough to do a little bit of healing. I’ve got none, but of course I inherited my father’s youki.”

“I’m sorry…” Kagome whispered. “I didn’t know.” Suddenly, a _lot_ of things were starting to make sense, and it was freaking her the _fuck_ out.

“My father left Sess’s mom basically as soon as he met my mom,” Inuyasha said. “It was unheard of for the Inu no Taisho to be with a human female, but you can’t undo what the gods decide, right?” He took his eyes off the road to look at her for a split second, and Kagome felt sick to her stomach.

“How did they know?” she asked.

“Hells if I know,” he replied shortly. “They never told me anything. Only that as soon as they met, they both knew, and even Sess’s mom knew enough about soulmates to walk away gracefully. The three of them got along reasonably well until my parents died, too. First my mom, then my dad, years later. Not a big happy family, but they kept the fighting to a minimum. Sess always resented me and my mom, though, for obvious reasons.”

Kagome nodded sympathetically. “I’m sorry that your parents had to find each other like that.”

“It happens.” He didn’t elaborate, because then he’d have to talk about Kikyo, and he didn’t feel like shitting on the day even more.

They drove in silence the rest of the way to headquarters. Kagome’s mind was reeling. Inuyasha’s mother had been spiritual; he said she was weak, but that would have been before he was born, so what did he know? Maybe she was more powerful than he thought. And his mother’s soulmate was not just a youkai, but the most powerful youkai who ever lived.

What did that mean?

And more importantly, what did that mean _for them_?

Kagome was still turning what Inuyasha had told her over in her mind when they pulled into the parking garage for the NPA headquarters. She snapped back to reality when he slammed his car door shut; she opened her own door quickly and got out to join him.

“All right, Higurashi?” he asked, his gruff voice laced with worry.

“I’m okay.” She had just passed out on him this morning, after all. _Yeah, just from fucking_ looking _at him._ She swung her purse over her shoulder and followed him into the building.

“Just downstairs to the ME’s office today, okay?” Inuyasha told her as they went through security. She nodded and surrendered her purse to be inspected as he took off his jacket and handed the officer his firearm. They both went through the metal detector cleanly, and received their items back.

“Same thing as last time, right?” Kagome said with a small laugh. “Look for the reiki.”

“Don’t overdo it today, though, okay?” Inuyasha replied, sliding his jacket back on over his holster. “If you can’t find anything, don’t dig too deep. I need you to have all your faculties today, especially when we go see Sess.”

“Why are you so eager to have me tag along today, anyway?” she asked him as they headed down the elevator.

 _Because I don’t want to let you out of my sight for a fucking second_.

“Because I need you to check the victim, and I’m kind of curious to see you in action against my brother.” Both truths.

“Okay.” She smiled slightly. “Your brother doesn’t like me.”

Inuyasha snorted. “The Lord of the West only likes his mate. I’m not even sure he likes his pups.”

“His—what?”

 _Shit_. “Kids.”

“Matsushita Sesshomaru has kids?”

“Insane, right?” Inuyasha grinned at her as the elevator doors opened.

“I literally cannot imagine him anywhere but in that big office, all alone.” Kagome winked at him, and Inuyasha almost collapsed on the spot from the speed with which he became aroused. He hung onto the wall for a second, collecting himself, willing his youki and his body to come back under his control. Kagome opened her mouth to ask if he was all right.

“Ah, Higurashi! Matsushita! You’re here!” Hojo, thankfully, kept the question from being asked.

“I understand you have another victim, Hojo,” Kagome said.

Hojo frowned. “Unfortunately, yes,” he told her. “Totosai requested that you be allowed to inspect the body.”

“I’ll do my best,” she said, walking beside him down the hall. She turned briefly. “Coming, Matsushita-san?” Her voice twinkled in the corridor.

Inuyasha forced himself upright. He grunted, unable to answer the question.

_Almost. I’m nearly there._

“What do you know about the victim this time, Hojo?,” Kagome asked softly.

“You won’t like this one, Higurashi,” Hojo said. “She was only eighteen.”

Kagome gasped, all the color draining from her face. “Who—who is doing this?”

“That’s why we’re here, Higurashi,” said Inuyasha roughly, still trying to hide his arousal. He couldn’t very well tuck it into his pants in front of them, so he was doing the best he could under the circumstances. “We’ll figure it out.”

She turned and gave him a grateful smile. He blushed at the acceptance, the trust, and the determination in her eyes. _Not helping_.

“Yes,” she said. “We will.”

“We’re here,” Hojo said, opening the door to a small room and ushering them inside. Kagome recognized this as the same room where she had checked Tanaka’s reiki. The body lay on a metal table, her identifier tied to her big toe. Hojo removed the plastic cover over the body; Kagome flinched, but held it together.

“Sarashina Miyuki,” murmured Kagome. Inuyasha could scent the salt of her tears, and resisted the urge to pull her to him and kiss them away. She whispered a prayer over Sarashina’s body. “I am so sorry, Sarashina-san,” she whispered. “Please allow me to check your reiki.”

Kagome steeled herself as Hojo removed the plastic sheet covering Sarashina’s body. She knew what to expect this time, but still couldn’t help but shiver at the sight of the poor, bruised, and shrunken body, blood pooling in grotesque ways. She took a deep breath and looked at Inuyasha. He smiled thinly, to encourage her, and nodded once. She closed her eyes and held her hands out over the body, whispering a prayer for the dead. Kagome’s hands slowly began to glow a vibrant magenta; the color moved up her arms until they were fully engulfed in her reiki. She moved fully into a meditative state, allowing her reiki to guide her in the search for Sarashina’s remaining reiki. Her hands ghosted the body; her reiki flowed through Sarashina’s form, causing it to glow bright pink, too.

At long last Kagome stepped back; Sarashina’s body faded back to how it was when they arrived. Inuyasha looked at Kagome in surprise.

“You did a few things different this time,” he commented.

“I did,” she replied. “I looked up a few different prayers, and ways to detect reiki after death, so I wasn’t floundering around in there.” She laughed morosely. “I didn’t want to faint on you again.”

“Did you find anything different this time, then?” Hojo asked her.

Kagome shook her head. “No,” she said sadly. “There’s nothing there.”

Hojo handed her a report. “Are you willing to sign off on that?”

She took the report and Hojo’s pen and signed her name with a flourish. She looked up at him as she handed it back. “Not the circumstances under which I expected to see you again, Hojo.”

He smiled gently. “Really. Let’s have coffee, once all this is over.”

“I’d like that.” She turned to Inuyasha, who was snarling softly in the corner. “Do we need to do anything else here?”

“Not fucking likely,” he growled. “Hojo.” He spun on his heel and left.

Kagome raised her eyebrows at Hojo; he shrugged.

“See you around then, Hojo,” she said with a wave, and jogged off after Inuyasha, down the hall and out of the examiner’s office.

Inuyasha stormed down the hall and back to the elevator, where he jammed the buttons madly. What the fuck was she thinking? Having coffee with the fucking medical examiner? He stood there, waiting for the elevator, his youki billowing around him in his anger.

“Tamp it down, Matsuhita-san,” Kagome snapped. He jumped and turned to face her. She stood there, hands on her hips, her head cocked cutely to the side. Her hair tumbled over one shoulder. He was finding it hard to stay angry when she was so fucking adorable.

“Tamp _what_ down, Higurashi?” he retorted, punching the buttons on the elevator again.

Kagome got up in his face; he could feel the sparks of her reiki jumping off her skin. “Your youki,” she hissed. “It’s _everywhere_.”

“How do you even know that fucking guy?” he exclaimed before he could get a hold of himself.

“Wait…” she said slowly, an idea dawning on her. “Are you…jealous?”

The elevator dinged open and Inuyasha practically jumped inside, tugging Kagome after him, cringing at the electric shock he received. “I’m not fucking jealous,” he hissed, “and why the _fuck_ am I sparking like a goddamn firecracker every time I touch you?”

She grew pale. “I—I have no idea,” she replied lamely.

 _Lie_.

“Don’t we have to go see your brother now?” she asked, trying to change the subject.  
  
“You’re not getting out of this, Higurashi,” he said. “At some point, you and me…we gotta talk.”

She sighed and rubbed her temples. “I know,” replied Kagome. “But…can we at least see your brother first?”

He leaned back against the wall of the elevator and considered her. Her blue-gray eyes were large and questioning; he could hear her heart beating tremendously fast. Something was making her nervous. Was it him?

Of course it was. But why?

“Higurashi—” he began.

The elevator doors dinged and opened. Kagome bounced out before he could finish his sentence. “Come on,” she said, “we’re gonna be late, aren’t we?”

“Keh,” he said in return, smiling slightly at her enthusiasm, “I don’t give a shit about making my brother wait.” But he strode back towards the entrance, Kagome now jogging to keep up with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, Miroku plays ayatori with his daughters. Ayatori is the traditional game of cat's cradle, and I have to say that I'm a little in love with the mental image of Miroku playing cat's cradle with his daughters <3 
> 
> How will Inuyasha and Kagome's visit with Sesshomaru go? Find out in the next update, and as always, thanks so much for reading!


	13. The Lord of the West

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha and Kagome pay a visit to Sesshomaru.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello my friends! I hope you're all safe and well.
> 
> First, thank you, _thank you_ , for all the comments and kudos from the last chapter! That was honestly one of my favorites to write thus far, and it makes me beyond happy that you all enjoyed it, as well.
> 
> So many of you are asking when Kagome will finally own up to everything with Inuyasha, which I really appreciate (because I want her to tell him too!). But...not this chapter, lol! It will happen soon, I promise. In the meantime, I give you a little InuKag/Fluffy time! Please enjoy!

Kagome had been to a demon lord’s house before; Kouga lived not too far from her, and his house, on the edge of Asakusa, was large, but it was nothing like the house of the Lord of the West. Sesshomaru and his family occupied a home in Minato-ku: a large, stone home with a marbled fence and large steel doors for a gate. Kagome had lived in Tokyo her entire life, and had never seen anything like it. Most houses in Tokyo were cramped, jutting up against each other, even in the wealthiest areas. But Sesshomaru’s house was on a large piece of land, with a long driveway leading up to the house itself.

“How long as your brother lived here?” Kagome murmured to Inuyasha as they drove up the driveway.

Inuyasha shrugged. “This property belonged to my father once. So our whole lives? But who knows know long my father lived here first…a few hundred years before Sess was born, for sure.” He frowned. “I haven’t been here since I left, and that was about a hundred and fifty years ago.”

Kagome said nothing in reply, but her eyes grew large, taking everything in.

“Just…when we get inside, don’t let him get to you, okay?” said Inuyasha, watching her closely.

Kagome nodded. “I doubt there’s anything your brother could say that would piss me off.”

Inuyasha barked out a laugh. “I thought you said you knew my brother?” He parked out in front of the house and gestured for her to get out of the car, opening his own door and sliding out.

Kagome gaped at the size of the house in front of her. From the end of the drive it had seemed large, but now that she was in front of it, she realized had been mistaken. “Large” was too diminutive a term to describe this house.

Inuyasha strode up to the large steel doors and rang the bell on the intercom. It took a moment, but at last the intercom switched on.

“Who is it?” a scratchy voice said.

Inuyasha looked right where Kagome imagined there was a camera. “It’s me, you asshole,” he said.

“Ah,” the scratchy voice sighed, “Lord Inuyasha.” The intercom switched off.

Inuyasha turned to Kagome, who was glaring at him. “What?” he asked.

“You just called someone in your brother’s house an asshole?” she said incredulously.

He shrugged. “They’re all assholes. But Jaken might even be worse than my bastard of a half-brother.”

“Jaken?”

The doors slowly swung open, and Inuyasha walked in, Kagome trailing after him. She was surprised to see a tiny kappa standing there, his face twisted in a scowl.

“Lord Inuyasha,” the kappa wheezed, and Kagome realized it was the same voice as the intercom.

“My brother should be expecting me, Jaken,” Inuyasha said shortly. “Where is he?”

“Nowhere you will find him, hanyou!” Jaken screeched.

Inuyasha paused in his movements to look down at the kappa. “Let’s not do this here, old man,” Inuyasha said. He jerked his head towards Kagome. “Not in front of _her_.”

Jaken also paused, turning to look at Kagome. His face filled with horror. “How dare you bring a miko into the home of the Lord of the West, you filthy half-breed!” he shrieked. Kagome grimaced at the pitch of his voice, but refrained from covering her ears.

Inuyasha bent down and grabbed the kappa by his collar, dragging him up the wall. “You wanna say that again, you fucker?” he growled. “Give me one good reason not to waste you right here. The gods know I’ve been waiting almost two hundred years to do it.”

“How about two good reasons?” said a silky voice from behind them. Three heads swiveled to see a tall, beautiful woman gliding towards them, her navy-blue kimono billowing out behind her, her deep red eyes filled with amusement. She had two small children by the hand: one boy and one girl. Kagome instantly recognized them as youkai through their youki, which was as delicate and elegant as the woman’s kimono.

“Now, now, Inuyasha,” said the woman in the same sensual tone, “please put our vassal down. My Lord husband would be most disappointed to find you had, in fact, ‘wasted’ him, and thus denied his Lordship the opportunity to do so himself.”

Inuyasha dropped Jaken, who fell to the floor with a crash, and turned to the woman, bowing slightly. “Kagura-onee-san,” he said formally.

She smiled; Kagome was in awe of her flawless skin, and the way her eyes glowed like two fiery coals. Kagura’s hair was tied back in a bun, and Kagome could see her pointed ears, a sign of her full youkai heritage.

“It’s been awhile, otouto,” she said, letting go of the children and pulling Inuyasha into a hug. She held him at arm’s length. “You look awful,” she observed. “Too many late nights at headquarters?”

“Something like that,” Inuyasha said, stepping back from her. He gestured to Kagome. “Higurashi Kagome, may I present my sister-in-law, Matsushita Kagura.” Kagome bowed formally to Kagura, who bobbed her head in return.

“And these are my children,” Kagura said, shoving them forward. “My son, Hiroto—” the boy, who looked to be about seven or eight, bowed to Kagome, who bowed in return, “—and my daughter, Kimiko.” The little girl, who appeared no more than four, also bowed. Kagome smiled as she bowed back.

“It is very nice to meet all of you, Matsushita-sama, Hiroto-kun, Kimiko-chan,” said Kagome.

“And you, Higurashi-san,” Kagura answered. “And please, call me Kagura.” She turned to Inuyasha. “Now, permit me to ask you the same question Jaken did, but much more politely.” She smiled. “Why have you brought a miko to the house of the West?”

Inuyasha grimaced. “Higurashi is under my protection,” he said. “Someone is kidnapping and killing mikos, taking their reiki.”

“If that is the case,” Kagura said to Kagome, “there is no one better at the NPA than my otouto. You’ll be fine.”

“Thank you, Kagura-sama,” Kagome replied. “I can take care of myself, you know.”

Kagura laughed. “I have no doubt you can,” she said, sliding forward and hooking her arm through Kagome’s elbow. “But you should know that inu youkai are fiercely loyal and protective. I bet he follows you around like a puppy!”

Kagome laughed too. “Something like that,” she agreed.

Inuyasha growled and hoisted the pups up on his shoulders. “You gonna tease your old uncle too, runts?” he asked them.

Hiroto laughed. “You are a little bit like a puppy, Inu-oji-san,” he said, while Kimiko rubbed Inuyasha’s ears.

“Oi!” he shouted. “Not the ears!”

“Don’t tease your uncle, children,” Kagura admonished them. “You’re here to see your brother, I presume?” she said to Inuyasha.

“I gotta talk with him about a case,” he grumbled, flipping his niece and nephew around in the air and setting them on their feet, Hiroto and Kimiko squealing the whole time.

“He’s in the study,” Kagura said. “Higurashi-san, would you like to join me in the solarium for some tea?”

“She’s coming with me,” Inuyasha said gruffly. When Kagura turned her vibrant red eyes on him, he added, “she’s relevant to one of the cases Sess and I need to discuss.”

“I see,” said Kagura slowly, looking between the two of them. Kagome felt herself blushing under Kagura’s knowing smile.

“Fine,” she said at last. “Kiddos, go play. Jaken, you watch them.”

“My Lady,” wheezed Jaken, “it is highly irregular for a miko to enter the house of the West. I do not think Lord Sesshomaru would approve—”

“What my husband does and does not approve of is none of your concern,” Kagura said icily. “Now please, take the children out back. I’ll be there momentarily.” She rolled her eyes as Jaken led the children away, mumbling under his breath.

“And don’t let me catch you trying to light their toys on fire again with that damn staff, Jaken!” she shouted after him. Kagura smoothed the front of her kimono with one hand and turned to Inuyasha, her other arm still hooked through Kagome’s.

“Honestly,” she said, “I know he’s been Sesshomaru’s vassal for something like three hundred years, but he’s a massive pain in the ass.” She winked at Kagome. “Shall we?”

Kagura showed them through the genkan, past a large, open yoshitsu that led into the eating area, and then up two flights of stairs. At the top she opened the door into a large room; it had light bamboo floors and floor-to-ceiling windows. Kagome could see the city skyline; it was stunning.

“Anata?” Kagura said. Kagome had been so busy looking out the windows she hadn’t noticed the large metal desk in front of them. Sitting there, in a tall, black leather swivel chair, was the Lord of the West himself. “You have visitors.”

“Is that so?” Sesshomaru said, rising and sending out his youki in an intimidating manner. He looked just as Kagome remembered. Even though it was Saturday, he was dressed in a navy blue suit; his white button-down shirt was open at the collar. His long silver hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, and his youkai markings stood out against his alabaster skin. Handsome and terrible, all rolled into one. He smirked slightly at his brother, but then his gaze settled on her.

 _Oh, fuck_.

“You.” It was not a question. He knew exactly who she was. “Why are you in this Sesshomaru’s house?”

“You know Higurashi-san already, anata?” Kagura said. “How nice.”

“I don’t know if I would use that word, Kagura-sama,” Kagome murmured.

“We’ve met,” was Sesshomaru’s brusque reply. “Again, miko. Why are you _here_?”

“She’s with me, Sess,” Inuyasha burst in. “She’s under my protection.”

“And you deigned to bring her into the House of the West, little brother?” Sesshomaru asked. “Could you not leave her with someone else?”

“Higurashi has information relevant to one of the cases I’m here to discuss with you today,” answered Inuyasha. His youki was chafing to be let loose against Sesshomaru’s, but they couldn’t fight. Not in front of Kagura and Kagome. Not in the house of the West. So he tamped it down.

“Hn.” That was as much of an acceptance as Inuyasha would get, so he took it. “Let’s sit, Higurashi,” he said, helping himself to a chair on the opposite side of the desk. Kagome stood awkwardly, unsure of how to respond.

“Kagura,” Sesshomaru said. She looked up at him expectantly. “You may leave us.”

“Will you want tea, anata?” she asked.

“Perhaps later. For now—” he looked from Inuyasha to Kagome, and back to Inuyasha again “—it appears we have much to discuss.”

Kagura grinned at Inuyasha. “Fine,” she said. “See you in a bit,” she added to Inuyasha.

“Kagura-onee-san,” he grunted.

“Miko,” said Sesshomaru as Kagura left the room.

“Yes?” Kagome replied, grateful that she could hold herself together. Sesshomaru gestured to the seat besides his brother; Kagome sank into it.

“Now,” Sesshomaru said, a hint of interest playing in his cold, golden eyes, “why don’t you tell this Sesshomaru why you’re both here?”

Inuyasha and Kagome looked at each other. Inuyasha cleared his throat. “I’m gonna start with my other case, if that’s okay,” he said to Kagome.

She openly stared back at him. “Why should it matter to me?”

“It—it doesn’t?” he stammered. Why did he care what she thought?

“Little brother,” said Sesshomaru, frowning, “if you please.”

Inuyasha suddenly became aware that he was not the only youkai in the room, and as such, Sesshomaru could…scent…certain things…about him. About Kagome.

 _Ah, fuck_.

“My partner and I investigated another robbery,” Inuyasha began, trying to suppress his arousal, “this time at Naraku Industries.”

“Tsuji Onigumo is a half-breed fool,” said Sesshomaru carelessly. “This one is sure that half his inventory was missing.”

Inuyasha both growled and snorted. He couldn’t decide whether to laugh or be angry. “Same stuff as before, Sess. Gradient coils, etc. More MRI stuff.”

“This Sesshomaru fails to see how this new development is impactful.”

“Do you have any further information on those missing items that we discussed at your office?”

Sesshomaru leaned back in his chair and looked hard at his brother. “Yes.”

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. “Would you mind…sharing it…with me?”

“This Sesshomaru is not in the habit of revealing sources,” he replied. “However—” he reached into a filing cabinet under his desk and removed a file. He opened it, rifled through the paperwork, closed it, and slid it over to his brother. “Here.”

Inuyasha took the file folder and began thumbing through it. He couldn’t believe what he was reading. “Holy fucking hell, Sess,” he breathed.

“What is it?” asked Kagome.

Inuyasha paused, unsure of how much to say to Kagome in front of his brother.

“This one’s half-brother has just learned of the purpose of some stolen materials,” Sesshomaru said simply.

“So it’s definitely some kind of laser,” Inuyasha said. “And theoretically, it could connect to a microchip and…?”

“It would be used for whatever the owner wants to use it for,” Sesshomaru finished.

“So then the question remains,” Inuyasha murmured, “what is it being used for?”

Sesshomaru held his brother’s eyes with a level gaze. “That is the question you, as the detective, are supposed to answer, this one believes,” Sesshomaru told Inuyasha.

“It would seem so,” Inuyasha said, more to himself than to anyone else. He remained quiet for several moments, reviewing the materials in the folder. He then slipped the folder into his bag, and turned his gaze to Kagome, who flushed deeply and gripped the arm of the chair. Sesshomaru eyed the exchange, bored out of his mind.

“Thanks—thanks for this information, onii-san,” Inuyasha said quietly. “It’s greatly appreciated.”

Sesshomaru simply hummed in response. “And the miko is here because…?”

“Of another case I’m working on,” Inuyasha replied. “I’m sure that you’ve heard that there have been a number of mikos kidnapped from around the country this past week.”

“This Sesshomaru does not care to involve himself in the happenings of the human world. _However_ ,” he added, ignoring Inuyasha’s growls, “it has been on the television regularly.”

“Yes,” said Inuyasha. “I’d like to know what you make of it.”

“What does that mean?” Sesshomaru asked.

“If I may, Matsushita-sama,” Kagome said suddenly. The brothers turned to face her. Kagome shivered under their glare, but held steady.

“Around the country, mikos are disappearing, and turning up dead here in Tokyo.” She paused, trying to collect herself. “The two that have been found were shrunken forms of themselves, and Matsushita-san brought me in to examine both bodies. I found them to be completely drained of their reiki. It was as though they had never been mikos at all.”

Sesshomaru looked at Kagome with as much interest as he could muster. “What do you make of this, Inuyasha?” he asked his brother.

“We’re not sure,” Inuyasha admitted. “That’s why I wanted to bring Higurashi to see you. She’s started advising us on the case, but I thought that a youkai lord would also be worth talking to.”

“And why is that?” Sesshomaru asked.

“Because you have insights into the Human-Youkai Treaty,” replied Inuyasha, “and maybe there’s something in the writing of that treaty that both of you would know about that we’re missing. With regards to spiritualists.”

Sesshomaru frowned. “Little brother,” he said slowly, “there are many youkai, both full and half, who do not like the idea of spiritualists having the ability to train and protect themselves. They feel that this gives spiritualists too much power, and remain concerned that this kind of protection will lead to the downfall of the youkai altogether.”

“But that wasn’t the point of the treaty!” Kagome protested. “The treaty was to ensure that youkai would be protected from the kinds of spiritual attacks that they fear! And that’s why we are training spiritualists now…to try and prevent accidental purifyings, and to teach spiritualists to control their powers. It’s supposed to be for the good of everyone!"

“And yet, is it, miko?” Sesshomaru asked. “You have the wolf convinced that it is, but then again, it would be easy for you to convince him of anything, wouldn’t it?”

“What is that supposed to mean?” cried Kagome hotly.

Sesshomaru said nothing; he simply cracked his claws in response.

“I think we’re getting away from the point of this conversation,” said Inuyasha abruptly, avoiding Sesshomaru’s withering glare. “The point is: would there be any youkai who might have an interest in taking out mikos?”

“Obviously, little brother,” Sesshomaru replied, “the answer is yes.”

“But _who_?” Inuyasha pressed. “Who would have an interest?”

“That’s exactly what you need to find out,” Sesshomaru said, now picking at his claws absentmindedly. “Perhaps you might start with your most recent robbery victim.”

“Tsuji Onigumo?” said Inuyasha, surprised.

“Tsuji Onigumo,” Sesshomaru repeated, “was not allowed a seat at the table, so to speak, at the treaty talks, but he certainly told anyone who would listen that he didn’t approve of giving spiritual humans so much power. He’s only a half-breed, so the likelihood of a full youkai listening to him is nil, but he spent a lot of time and money trying to convince the Lords that spiritualists would be the end of us.”

“Not fucking likely, either,” Inuyasha scowled. “As a hanyou, he can’t be purified. So what was in it for him?”

“It is unclear,” said Sesshomaru. “His money was ill-spent, though, as the miko here was far more convincing in her arguments to Lord Kouga and the rest of the youkai Lords. And the humans believed her, too.” He shifted his gaze to Kagome, and she blushed.

“I didn’t do that much,” she said quietly. “Spiritualists are by nature of their beliefs uninterested in causing harm to other individuals.”

“Perhaps so,” replied Sesshomaru, not unkindly. “Yet you still did an impeccable job making your argument. Even if it was an argument this Sesshomaru happens to largely disagree with.”

“And yet you still signed the treaty, Matsushita-sama,” she pointed out.

“Hn,” was all he would say.

Inuyasha had sat there, thinking, while Kagome and Sesshomaru hashed out their points of view on human-youkai relations. He wondered if Sesshomaru was onto something. Could it be that Tsuji Onigumo had something to do with the kidnapping of the mikos?

“You’ve given me a lot to think about, Sess,” said Inuyasha, “so thanks for that. If it’s not Tsuji, then it could very well be someone else who had an axe to grind with spiritualists in general, and Higurashi specifically.”

“Keep an eye on her, little brother,” Sesshomaru said. “If the mikos are missing, they will eventually come for Higurashi-san.”

“Not likely, my Lord,” replied Kagome. “I can take excellent care of myself.”

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at her. Inuyasha sighed.

“This is typical, Sess,” he said resignedly. “Higurashi always thinks that she can take care of herself.”

“Because I can,” she shot back.

“And yet, here you are, with me,” said Inuyasha amiably.

“If we are done here,” said Sesshomaru, intervening quickly, “this Sesshomaru would like to return to work so he can spend time with his children on this Saturday.” He looked down at his paperwork, and picked up a pen to begin to read and highlight.

“Of course, Sess,” said Inuyasha. He paused, realizing this was one of the few times they actually had a civil conversation. Was it because of Kagome? “Thank you, onii-san,” he said. Sesshomaru waved his hand to excuse them, and Inuyasha rose. “Come on, Higurashi,” he added.

“Matsushita-sama,” Kagome said, rising and bowing, “thank you for seeing us today.”

“This Sessohmaru is glad at least one of you is not a fool,” he replied, not bothering to look up from his work.

Kagome and Inuyasha left the study, and headed back down the stairs towards the genkan.

“Inuyasha,” Kagura called out from the main living area, “do you have a moment?”

Inuyasha paused and looked at Kagome. She shrugged. “I’ll be back,” he muttered.

“I need to check in with Kouga, anyway,” she said. “He’s been texting me non-stop.”

The annoyance in her voice made him smile. “Give me a few minutes,” he told her, and she smiled bleakly as she took out her phone.

Kagura gestured for Inuyasha to follow him into the solarium. She closed the French doors, effectively making them conversation private. “So,” she said, turning around to face her brother-in-law, “what’s up with you and the miko?”

Inuyasha blanched and nearly choked on his own spit. “Noth—nothing?”

“It’s not ‘nothing,’” Kagura replied. “The scents you’re both giving off? She’s human—she doesn’t know any better—but you? At your age?” She laughed. “Come on, otouto, out with it.”

“She’s a _miko_ , onee-san,” shot back Inuyasha. “Even if I felt something for her, she’s not gonna reciprocate.”

“And why the hell not?” challenged Kagura. “Is there something so wrong with you? I know your brother thinks of you as—” she grimaced “— _less than_ , but I certainly don’t. Hells, I’m the only one who actually supported you leaving this insane family!”

“And yet here you are, married right into it,” Inuyasha rejoined.

“We love who we love, Inuyasha,” said Kagura easily. “And that goes for you, too.”

“Yeah, well, the last time I fell in love with a miko, it didn’t end so well for me,” he responded, “so I’m not really sure what my options are here.”

“Have you ever thought that this time, things could be different?” Kagura asked him. “That maybe this time, it’s for real?”

“Keh. Impossible.” He crossed his arms over his chest.

Kagura sighed. “Fine. But at least think about the possibility of opening your heart fully to her. I can tell how you feel about her—I’m sure your _brother_ could also tell. So _do_ something about it, before it’s too late.” And she went to the French doors and opened them, waiting for Inuyasha to show himself out.

“I’ll see you soon, onee-san,” Inuyasha mumbled, leaving the solarium and heading back down the hallway. He saw Kagome, still waiting for him in the genkan, looking irritable.

“Did things not go well with the wolf?” he asked her, trying not to smirk.

“I’m ready to go,” she said, ignoring his remark.

“Fine. Kagura-onee-san!” he called. “See you around!”

“Yep!” she called back from the main living area. “Don’t be a stranger, otouto!”

He opened the front door for Kagome; she filed out first, and he followed her, quietly, to the car.

Inuyasha had a lot to think about, but that was going to have to wait, because he got a text from Totosai:

_Missing miko reported in Arakawa. Ito Naomi of the Hinode no Jinja. Metro PD there now; will meet you there ASAP._

Inuyasha grunted as he started the car.

“Matsushita-san?” Kagome said tentatively. “What’s going on?”

Inuyasha put the car in drive and started down the driveway, away from his half-brother’s home. “We’ve got another missing miko,” he said. “We’re taking a detour before we go back to headquarters.”

He felt Kagome silently gasp beside him. “Who?” she asked softly.

“Ito Naomi, from the…”

“Hinode no Jinja,” Kagome finished bitterly. “She’s a good friend of mine. Oh, what the fuck, Matsushita-san!” she exclaimed, pounding her fist on the passenger side dashboard. Inuyasha could tell she was holding back tears. “Who is doing this?” She turned her beautiful, stormy eyes to him.

“I don’t know, Higurashi,” answered Inuyasha, turning on his sirens and speeding up, “but today, we’re going do our damnedest to figure that out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What will Inuyasha and Kagome discover at the Hinode Shrine? Who will make a guest appearance? Find out in the next update, and as always, thanks so much for reading!


	14. Rising Tensions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha and Kagome investigate a crime scene. Kagome gets a nudge from Totosai.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! Welcome to the next installment of Spirited Soulmates. I hope that you enjoy!

The Hinode no Jinja was a small shrine right off the highway and about a thirty-minute ride from Sesshomaru’s home in Minato. Even with his sirens, traffic was heavier than usual for a Saturday, and by the time Inuyasha found a parking spot and was dashing up the steps to the shrine courtyard, it had been close to forty minutes since Totosai’s text. And as Totosai had hinted, the place was swarming with Tokyo Metro PD.

Kagome followed Inuyasha up the steps, staying close. The feeling she was getting from the aura of the shrine was one of fear, and dread. She shivered. Something bad had happened here. She found herself craving the comfort of Inuyasha’s youki, even though he could not know that’s what she was doing. As it flowed outward behind him, she basked in its warmth and its heaviness—it created a blanket that protected her from the darkness that permeated the air surrounding the shrine.

Inuyasha slipped under the crime scene tape, gesturing for Kagome to follow him. This was a perfect opportunity to learn more about what exactly she could detect; he had seen Kagome’s ability to identify residual auras first-hand the night before, and he wanted to see how she might handle something similar at a crime scene.

Inuyasha located Totosai fairly easily; his thick youki wafted through the crowd of NPA and Metro PD officers.

“Matsushita,” said Totosai brusquely when Inuyasha approached. “About time you showed up.”

“Apologies, Captain,” Inuyasha replied, bowing his head in a show of respect. “We were in Minato-ku with my half-brother when I got your text.”

Totosai peered over Inuyasha’s shoulder to see Kagome, shifting from one foot to the other, her steely eyes nervously scanning the crowd. “Higurashi-san?” he said, drawing her gaze to him. “Are you all right?”

Kagome nodded. “I’m okay, Captain. It’s just—” she took a deep breath. “I don’t like the _feel_ of the air here. Something bad happened.”

Totosai snorted; he couldn’t help it. “A miko was kidnapped, Higurashi-san. Isn’t that bad enough?”

“I _know_ , Captain,” Kagome replied testily. “But I can sense residual auras, and whoever did this…” she shivered again. “I’m worried for Naomi-chan,” she added in a quiet voice to Inuyasha. “I can’t quite get a full read on what happened with so many people around but…” she sucked in her breath. “I think she was badly injured.”

“What do you need?” he asked her immediately.

“A clear space to read the residual auras,” she murmured. “And I want you to have a clear space to detect scents.”

“Because whoever came to the school last night could have also come here,” he added. Kagome offered a small nod.

Inuyasha leapt into action. “Captain,” he said, drawing Totosai’s attention, “we need to clear this courtyard. _Now_.”

“What the fuck, Matsushita!” Totosai exclaimed. “What do you mean?”

“Higurashi wants to check for residual auras. I want to scent the courtyard to see if there’s a match to whoever visited the school last night.”

Totosai’s face flashed his recognition of what Inuyasha was asking. He nodded once.

“Everybody, _move_!” Inuyasha bellowed. The chattering and inspecting and picture taking stopped. All eyes turned to Inuyasha. “We need this courtyard cleared immediately,” he added in a booming voice. “We need to check it for residual auras and scents, and none of you fuckers are helping the situation.”

“The Metro PD is currently conducting a sweep of the courtyard,” said a young police officer defiantly. “We can’t just stop mid-search.”

“And your ‘sweep’ is potentially losing us valuable time,” Inuyasha barked. “Not to mention, you’re possibly covering up any auras or scents left behind. So out of the way Officer…”

“Shippou!” chirped the young man, flashing his badge. Inuyasha noticed his three tails swishing behind him.

Aw, fuck. A fucking _kitsune_ as a fucking cop? Was the Metro that desperate?

“Fine, Officer _Shippou_ ,” shouted Inuyasha, slowly losing patience. “Tell your superior officer that we need the courtyard cleared immediately.” He was starting to see red; the thought that whoever kidnapped this miko could also have been at Kagome’s school was driving his youki to the brink.

Totosai laid a hand on Inuyasha’s arm and looked hard at the kitsune. “Come on, Officer Shippou,” he said calmly, squeezing Inuyasha’s bicep to soothe him. “You know the NPA has jurisdiction here; Detective Matsushita is one of the leads on this case. Please have your officers clear the area.”

“But, but…” Shippou looked outraged.

“Now, runt!” Inuyasha shouted. Shippou opened his mouth to protest, but Totosai let go of Inuyasha and steered Shippou towards the other Metro officers. Inuyasha was left standing hunched over, breathing heavily, working hard to keep a grip on his humanity.

“Matsushita-san?” asked Kagome hesitantly. He shook his head, still trying to maintain his control, taking deep, calculated breaths. He couldn’t let his youki take over: not here, not now, and especially not in front of Kagome. What would she think if he did?

“Matsushita-san,” Kagome said again, more insistently this time. Inuyasha growled at her and shook his head more vigorously. He was fighting with everything he had to keep calm; he didn’t want to scare her—or worse, hurt her. Kagome’s scent permeated his nose as she came closer; lavender and vanilla enveloped him, drawing him in, relaxing him. Inuyasha allowed himself to breathe slowly, and felt his youki recede; thanks to her delectable, calming scent, he was coming down from his frenzy. As Kagome watched, she didn’t dare touch him, but she could see by his countenance that he was returning to normal.

She frowned. If her very presence could soothe him, then they were already attuned to each other. And that morning, he’d been acting like an insanely jealous boyfriend—which he certainly _was not._ She knew he probably had no idea why he was having mood swings, why his youki seemed out of control, and why he was so attached to her.

Kagome sighed. Miroku and Sango were right. She needed to tell him, and _soon_.

“We can do our investigation now,” Kagome said quietly. Stunned, Inuyasha looked up at her; his golden eyes widening in surprise.

How was she so fucking beautiful, even in the middle of a crime scene?

She was glowing a faint, dusky pink; she had activated her reiki in an attempt to draw out any residual aura. The soft pink glow reflected off her eyes, making them even more blue than usual. She had a small smile on her face as she took in his reaction to her.

Inuyasha was absolutely, completely, captivated. He couldn’t look anywhere else, even if he had wanted to. Even if Totosai demanded it. Even if his life depended on it.

_It should be a fucking crime for someone’s eyes to be so big, so blue, and so beautiful_ , he thought. He was completely, hopelessly, lost in them. The world around him began to haze over: all that was there, all that he could see, was Kagome, and her big, beautiful, eyes.

Vaguely, Inuyasha became aware that someone was saying his name. He blinked, and saw that she was moving her lips. _Fuck_ , he thought harshly, _fuck._ Her lips were plump, pink, and ripe. He wanted to feast on them, and on her. He heard himself growling; he felt his fangs drip with anticipation and need. He took a step towards her…

…only to have a hand ruthlessly yank him backwards.

“Matsushita!” It was Totosai. He was practically yelling in Inuyasha’s ear.

“Ow, Totosai!” Inuyasha roared, his eyes still on Kagome. “What the _fuck_?”

Totosai shook him viciously. “ _Matsushita_ ,” he said in a deadly quiet voice, “you need to bring it down a notch. _NOW_.”

Inuyasha blinked again, and the world started coming back into focus. He saw Kagome still standing in front of him, her head cocked adorably to the side in confusion. He grinned, and chafed against Totosai’s grip. “Oi, let me go, you damn youkai!” he shouted.

“Not until you calm the fuck down, Matsushita,” Totosai replied blandly, gripping his arm even more tightly.

“I _am_ fucking calm!” Inuyasha exclaimed. “Let me do my damn job!”

He shook off Totosai and strode to the middle of the courtyard, doing his best to ignore the miko who had so thoroughly and completely infiltrated his very being. He needed to concentrate. He needed all his faculties, and he was intensely aware that they were on the verge of slipping away.

All because of one woman, who had invaded him: body, mind, and soul.

Inuyasha was pleased to see that while he was in the middle of his meltdown, Totosai had cleared the courtyard. Inuyasha now had complete control (both of the crime scene and of himself, thankfully) and could move about as he wanted. He took his time, scenting the air, checking the corners of the courtyard, going from the haiden to the office to the shrine house. There had been so many scents there, it was hard to isolate. But yet, he felt as though there were three scents that lingered, and that weren’t connected to anyone who was there…

Inuyasha dropped to his haunches in front of the haiden. He put his nose to the ground and sniffed, following the trail across to the ema, where the wooden plaques were affixed to a wall. One was clearly the miko; he could detect her everywhere. The other two were male. One in particular caught his attention. He followed that scent across to the middle of the courtyard, where it became entangled with other scents and he lost it. He sat back on his haunches again and ran his hands through his long, silver hair. His fangs pressed into his lower lip; he knew that scent.

“He was here, wasn’t he?”

Just like he knew the lavender and vanilla scent coming up behind him.

Inuyasha turned. Kagome stood behind him, hugging herself. She was still glowing; her face was pale but resolute. He nodded. Kagome gave a small gasp, but made into more like a long breath she was pulling in.

“The aura.” It wasn’t a question.

“It’s dark. Like it was at school.” She could barely meet his eyes.

“There’s another scent here, Higurashi. Do you detect more than one aura?”

Kagome nodded. “While you were…sniffing things out…I did a little investigating of my own.” She paused; her reiki glowed fiercely magenta. “They came up to her separately. I—I think that one of them distracted her, and the other—took her out.” Kagome let out another breath of air. “Naomi-chan was badly injured, Matsushita-san. She lost consciousness. I—I hope she’s alive.”

“Higurashi,” he said firmly. “I believe she’s alive. And I promise you: we will find her.”

Inuyasha rose to face her, his jaw set, his long hair blowing behind him, his amber eyes harder than she’d ever seen them. His youki surged out behind him, a long, fiery cape. Kagome felt her heart stop with the intensity of his beauty. She called on everything she had within her to not faint from the sheer force of the pull she felt to him. But holy gods, did she want to race to him, strip him down, and kiss every inch of his solid, hot, body. Her face burst into flames at the thought.

She couldn’t even blink, or shake her head, or do anything that would contain her arousal. She couldn’t do anything except look at him, and use every ounce of her willpower to hold herself back.

Inuyasha felt her arousal slam into him, nearly causing him to tumble backwards. But he couldn’t move; he couldn’t break the connection between them. The tension in the air crackled around them as youki and reiki swirled, red and pink and bright. Kagome blinked first; her face drained of color, and Inuyasha raced to her side, but Totosai got there first, slinging an arm under her shoulders and holding her up. Inuyasha pulled up and watched as Totosai, with more gentleness than Inuyasha knew the elderly youkai could possibly possess, helped her to a bench near the ema. He threw up a hand, indicating Inuyasha should wait.

“Start calling neighboring businesses,” Totosai ordered him. “See if anyone has a camera that faces the entrance to the shrine. Do the same for the school. Get the kitsune runt to help—Metro might make things a little easier.”

Inuyasha grunted, but whipped out his phone and loped away, looking for the kitsune cop. Totosai helped Kagome sit down.

“Higurashi-san,” Totosai whispered when Inuyasha was out of inu youkai earshot, “are you all right?”

“I’m fine, Captain,” said Kagome wearily. “I guess I overdid it tracking those auras.”

“I would say it was something else that exhausted you, Higurashi,” Totosai replied kindly. “Why haven’t you told him that you’re soulmates?”

Kagome’s eyes opened wide. “How did you know?”

Totosai smiled sadly. “The first time you entered my office, I knew. Your auras,” he added when she looked confused. “They’re in a nearly constant state of upheaval because they are incomplete. And, they’ve acknowledged each as the missing part of the other—we saw that pretty clearly just now—but they’re pissed off that _you_ haven’t made that same acknowledgement.”

“How come Matsushita-san hasn’t noticed?” she asked.

“Oh,” Totosai replied. “Trust me. _You_ are the one who hasn’t noticed. Yours isn’t quite as extreme as his…or it wasn’t, until today. He knows something’s up, but from the looks of things, he has no idea why.” He clasped her gently by the chin and looked into her eyes. “Higurashi-san, why haven’t you told him?”

“How do you know about soulmates?” she asked Totosai quietly.

“I’ve been alive a long time, Higurashi-san,” said Totosai seriously. “I’ve learned to tell when a miko’s aura becomes attuned to someone. I saw it with Matsushita’s parents. With you two, it’s subtle, but it’s there. He’s attuned to you; you’re attuned to him.”

“I know,” whispered Kagome.

“So why not tell him?” Totosai insisted.

“I’m—I—I will tell him,” she replied. He opened his mouth to say more, but the look on her face prevented him from doing so.

“You need to do this, Higurashi-san,” Totosai said instead.

“ _I will_ ,” Kagome emphasized. Her eyes grew wide, and Totosai noted the shift in her aura. He looked up, and Inuyasha was standing over them, his amber eyes glowing and charged with confusion.

“We were just talking, Matsushita,” said Totosai smoothly, standing. “Don’t get your youki in a twist.”

Inuyasha growled, but bobbed his head at his boss. Totosai held out his hand to Kagome, and he helped her to stand.

“You two head back to the station,” Totosai said. “I’ll finish up here. How did your phone calls go?”

“Fine,” Inuyasha grunted. “Footage will be ready for us soon. I can go pick it up.”

“I’ll send Okada over to get it,” Totosai answered. “He needs something to do this afternoon, anyway. I want you two to go back and go through the information we’ve compiled already. See what you can figure out.”

Inuyasha grunted an assent; Kagome nodded. “Thank you, Captain,” she added softly.

Totosai grimaced. “Just…think about what I said,” he told her.

“I will.”

“Higurashi,” growled Inuyasha. Kagome looked up at him, her eyes wide and questioning. “Ready?”

“I am,” she sighed.

_Tonight. She would find the right moment and tell him._

_Before someone else did._

* * *

The sharpness of the cold against her back jolted Ito Naomi into wakefulness. She felt groggy, and there was a searing pain in the back of her head. She tried to reach her hand back to rub it, but her body wouldn’t move.

_Why wouldn’t her body move_?

“You’re awake.” The voice was harsh, from somewhere to her right. Naomi’s eyes were open, but she was having difficulty seeing who was there. It was a male; not a youkai, but his aura was dark and suffocating.

She blinked several times, and felt the cold even more severely on her back.

It was then she had the horrifying realization that she was naked.

Frantically, Naomi tried to sit up—tried to get away. But her body still wouldn’t move. Why?

“You’re not going anywhere, Ito-sama,” said the voice. If the words weren’t so callous, she would have found the lilt of the voice pleasing and musical.

“Who—who are you?” she rasped.

The man moved closer to her; his face slowly come into focus. He was tall; his dark hair was pulled back from his face; dark glasses framed his bright blue eyes. He would have been handsome if she weren’t so terrified.

He reached out and caressed her cheek with a motion that was meant to be soothing, but only drove her into more of a panic.

“You’re safe,” he reassured her, “for now.”

“Where am I?” she asked, her voice still struggling to find itself.

He leaned over her face; she could see that his hair was tied back in a long braid. It fell over his shoulder and tickled her breasts. “Nowhere you need to know about,” he told her.

She took a deep breath, trying to gather her reiki and use it against him.

“It’s no good, Ito-sama,” the man chuckled, “you can’t call your reiki. Not here, anyway.”

“What—why?” Naomi was quickly moving into a state of extreme panic.

“That’s also not your concern,” he said. “You’ll have a chance to show me what you can do later. In the meantime,” he added, his eyes turning so dark they were almost black, “I need to know about your relationship with Higurashi Kagome.”

Naomi internally gasped. She remembered everything. The man—who came to see her at the shrine—had asked her about Kagome. Then she felt… _pain_ …and woke up here.

Whoever these men were, they were after her friend.

“There’s nothing to tell,” she said shortly.

He frowned. “That’s the wrong answer, Ito-sama,” he said, running a long nail along the side of her cheek.

“I won’t tell you anything,” she said stubbornly. “I don’t know anything.”

The man leaned in so close she could count the freckles on his nose. “We have ways of making you talk, miko,” he growled, “and I promise that you won’t like them. So, you can either tell me of your own free will, or I will make your last hours on this earth absolutely fucking miserable.” He licked her cheek, and she shivered in revulsion. He stood up. “Either way, you die,” he added. “I can make that death easy and peaceful, or you will suffer in unimaginable ways.” He smiled sadistically. “I will give you some time to think it over. I hope you will choose the first option, although I can’t say that I won’t have fun with the second.” He crossed the room and opened a door. “I’ll be back, Ito-sama. And I will expect an answer.”

He went through the door and closed it. Naomi was alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo...Kagome's now getting pushback from all sides to tell him the truth, lol! Even Totosai can tell. But I really enjoyed writing a little bit of Inuyasha and Kagome in investigative action here!
> 
> In the next update: Inuyasha and Kagome review what they know thus far, and Kagome has a couple of important realizations. See you soon, and as always, thanks so much for reading!


	15. Realizations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome has several important realizations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime. 
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you are safe and doing well <3
> 
> This opening note is going to be a bit longer than most, and I hope you will indulge me ^_^
> 
> So....I was going to open my note today by saying that I noticed that my series InuKag Kendo Club has been getting a lot of love lately, and use this moment to say a heartfelt thank you. And, that if you found your way here to Spirited Soulmates through it, or vice versa, I am endlessly appreciative.
> 
> And _then_ I learned that the series has been nominated for Best Serial in the Feudal Connection's 2020 3rd Q Inuyasha Fandom Awards, and that my story "Having It All" (#5 in the series) has been nominated for Best Romance, and OMG YOU GUYS, I am beyond honored and thrilled! Those stories have been such a wonderful side project to work on, and I have so loved bringing Yash and Kagome's story to everyone. So, **_thank you, thank you,_** from the bottom of my heart. The fact that this series is bringing joy to its readers...it's just...I'm beyond happy ^_^ Thank you, so much, to those who nominated us <3 
> 
> Nominations for the awards are being accepted through July 15th, and voting will take place between July 29th and August 12th. For more information, to submit a nomination, or to see the current list of nominees, please visit https://feudalconnection.tumblr.com/.
> 
> Next: my profile! I have updated my profile to include the stories I'm working on, and progress, if you are so interested. I also included some of my favorite anime, as well as what I'm currently watching. I am working on putting together a Tumblr page, but I work in WordPress, and it's a bit different, so I need some time to sit down and figure out formatting, etc. The Tumblr page will have links to my stories, as well as previews for upcoming chapters, and bonus/alternate scenes. I'll post an update when that actually happens!
> 
> Now, onto the story at hand!
> 
> Suffice it to say that I am completely _blown away_ by the response to the last chapter. _THANK YOU_ so very much for your amazing and thoughtful feedback. I am so, so enjoying writing this story, and I cannot express what it means that you're all enthusiastic participants on Inuyasha and Kagome's journey in this story with me. "Thank you" doesn't seem like enough. So, I'm giving you an extra-long, super-special chapter today! Thanks for allowing me to ramble for a bit. Please, enjoy, and happy reading! <3 <3

They’d been sitting at Inuyasha’s desk for hours now, sifting through the documents, the files, the reports, the videos, the pictures—everything the NPA had on the missing and dead mikos. Inuyasha knew he was missing something. What did they all have in common? Why would someone be taking these mikos? And sucking the life force, or the reiki, out of the them?

He growled in frustration, resting his head in his hand, looking down at the mountains of paperwork in front of him. He looked up at their board. The mikos’ pictures, pinned up on a map of Japan and a map of Tokyo, to mark where they had gone missing and where they were found, smiled back at him. His gaze was then drawn to the miko beside him. Kagome was sitting quietly in Sango’s chair, which she had pulled over to his desk, her eyes closed. She appeared to be meditating. A soft pink glow cast over her body; his breath caught. She was so beautiful. That long, curling, blue-black hair, now cast up in a messy bun, was escaping the elastic in long tendrils. Her dark eyelashes shone black and thick upon her pearly cheeks, made incandescent by her aura. Her face was the epitome of peace and rest, even though he knew she was trying to clear space in her mind to work through all the information that he had thrown at her.

Inuyasha shook his head, his silver hair falling about him like a waterfall, hiding his face. He couldn’t look at her in that way. He couldn’t. What would she ever want with a stupid half-breed like him, anyway? If she wasn’t drawn to Kouga, for fuck’s sake, the fucking Lord of the East, then why would she ever be attracted to him?

 _Kikyo_ , he told himself, just like he did every time he started to feel that rush of his heartbeat, the tingling of his skin, the dizziness that came on when he started to lose himself in her scent. _Remember Kikyo_.

“Matsushita-san?” she said. He brushed his hair aside and there she was, gazing at him with those steely-blue eyes, so intense he felt the heat start to rush up into his cheeks.

“What is it?” he asked, too abruptly, too harshly. _Damn_ , he cursed when he saw her eyes fall.

“I think—I think I figured something out.” Her voice was tiny.

Suddenly, Inuyasha was all ears. “Figured what out, Higurashi?” His voice was much softer than it had been a moment ago. He didn’t want to freak her out. Again.

Kagome stood up and went to the board. She started pointing at all the different women. “Tanaka Aiko,” she said, pointing at Sendai on the map of Japan. “45 years old. Unmarried. Found in Shimbashi.” She pointed to Nagano. “Junoichi Mai,” she said next. “67 years old. Unmarried. Still missing.” She shivered softly; Inuyasha didn’t miss it. She pointed to Osaka. “Sarashina Miyuki,” she said. “18. Unmarried. Found in Shinagawa.” She then turned to the Tokyo map, to Kanda. “Ishikawa Ayumi,” she said. “27. Unmarried. Still missing.” Then to Sumida. “Yamamoto Sara. 35. Unmarried. Still missing.” Then to Arakawa. “Ito Naomi. 51. Unmarried. Newly missing.” She turned to Inuyasha, tears brimming in her eyes. “I know so many of these women, Matsushita-san. I’m not close to all of them, but except for Sarashina-san, I know them. Miko circles are smaller than you might think.” She took a deep, shuddering breath, and closed her eyes, pulling herself together. He watched her carefully, his body tense and ready to spring into action should she need him. When she opened her eyes again, she seemed steadier, and more grounded.

“Two things that I notice here,” she said in a small voice. “Do you see it?”

Inuyasha tried to follow her line of thinking. “They’re all different ages,” he said. “None of them knew each other well enough for it to count. They’re all—” he got it.

“Unmarried,” she said. “They’re all unmarried.”

“So what?” he asked. “Aren’t most mikos unmarried?”

Kagome blushed. Like a real, deep, blush, that rocked Inuyasha’s world. The accompanying scent—a spike of cinnamon, on top of her natural lavender and vanilla—meant that he had to hold onto the desk to keep himself steady, blinking hard to keep his senses intact. She didn’t speak for several long, excruciating moments. “They are,” she said at last. “But not for the reasons you think.”

“Mikos stay unmarried to remain pure,” he said. “Everyone knows that.”

Kagome shifted from one foot to the other uneasily. “So then why is Miroku married to Sango?”

“Um, because he’s never been pure?”

Kagome laughed; a bright, tinkling laugh. Fuck, he loved to hear her laugh. It didn’t happen enough. He wanted to make her laugh every day for the rest of their lives.

 _What the actual_ fuck _was he thinking? Where did that come from_?

“That part is probably true,” she said, still giggling a little. “But there’s more to it than that.”

Inuyasha paused, unsure of what she was thinking.

Kagome sighed, then took a deep breath. “What do you know about soulmates, Matsushita-san?”

“Soulmates?” _More than you think, Higurashi_.

“Miko and houshi have spiritual power, Matsushita-san,” she explained carefully, “that they must cultivate through training and meditation. They can’t be distracted by the same… _carnal_ …feelings that normal humans have.”

Inuyasha nodded. So far, this made sense and matched what he knew from the little Kikyo had told him.

Kagome held onto the side of the board for support. “However, miko and houshi bloodlines would cease to exist if we just remained pure for the entirety of our lives. There might be some people who manifest powers outside of those bloodlines, but it’s rare. Most miko and houshi come from a spiritual bloodline.”

“So then how do the bloodlines continue?” Inuyasha asked.

“That’s where—the concept of soulmates—comes in.” Kagome was now not looking him directly in the eyes.

“How so?” Inuyasha leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. He only knew that he wasn’t Kikyo’s soulmate; he didn’t really understand conceptually how it worked. She had never bothered to explain things to him in greater detail.

Kagome began to pace around the room. “If a miko or a houshi were to…give in…to their desires and…” _gods, why was this so hard to talk about?_ “…have sex with someone who was not their soulmate, they would lose their spiritual powers, and lose any chance of birthing spiritual children. So we have to wait for our soulmate, who will be the person through which we can continue our spiritual bloodline.”

“So the monk and Murasaki—”

“—are soulmates, as you know,” Kagome finished. “They met when Sango was 15 and Miroku was 17.”

“How did they know they were soulmates?” Inuyasha asked. He had always secretly wondered how Kikyo was able to tell he was not her soulmate, but the other guy was. “It seems like a big risk to take.”

“You’re right,” Kagome told him, surprised. “It’s absolutely a big risk. But the gods have a way of telling us that the other person is, in fact, our soulmate.”

“Which is what?”

Kagome stopped pacing and stood directly in front of him. Inuyasha held his breath. She was beautiful and terrifying; her aura now shone a bright magenta all around her. Her eyes gleamed like steely sapphires against the glow of her aura. He was completely, hopelessly, captivated.

She leaned forward, across the desk. The air was crackling with her energy, then with his, as this time, his youki rushed up to eagerly greet her reiki, like they’d known each other all their lives.

“This,” she said, and took his hand as their auras met.

The spark of electricity that leaped between them, while it had been strong the first few times, was now so intense they both groaned from the impact of the touch. Inuyasha tried to pull his hand away, but Kagome held it steady—held his _eyes_ steady, as her stormy sea eyes met his molten amber ones.

Inuyasha didn’t know if he could possibly describe what was happening as Kagome held fast to his hand. There was a rush of energy, flowing from his body, out his hand, into hers, and back. The rush propelled him, made him weak, made him nauseated, made him light-headed, made him flush with desire for her. His youki was howling; his senses were overloaded. He wanted to take her, somewhere—fuck, even his desk would do at this point—and do—well, do _something_ —something to alleviate this incredible physical and emotional pressure bearing down on him.

And then, she let go of his hand. Everything—the emotions, the nausea, the desire, the electricity—shot back into his hand with such a force that he slammed back into his chair and it fell over with a resounding _crash_. Kagome rushed around the desk and knelt beside him. “Inuyasha!” She was _crying_. “Inuyasha!” She was calling his name. _His given name_.

Dazed, Inuyasha untangled himself from his chair and sat up, holding his head. “Fuck, Higurashi,” he groaned, “what the _fuck_ was that?!”

She smiled sheepishly through her tears. She reached out to touch him again, but thought better of it and pulled her hand back. “That’s what happens when soulmates who haven’t consummated their relationship yet…that’s what happens when they touch.”

Inuyasha couldn’t tell if he’d heard her right. Was this her talking, or his head? _Soulmates_?

“Yeah,” she said, reading his thoughts. “I’m like 99.999% sure that you and I…that you’re my soulmate.” Her voice grew quiet. “That’s why I’ve been avoiding touching you,” she added.

Now he was _sure_ he’d heard her wrong. He scooted back from his chair, resting his head against the desk behind him, his breath coming in ragged pants, his eyes hazy and unfocused. Kagome crawled on her knees, following him to his new position. He could tell she wanted to reach out for him, but was afraid. “Soulmate?” he finally managed to rasp out. “You…and me…soulmates?” She nodded, her face a mix of shifting emotions that he couldn’t sort out.

“Remember that first night you walked me home?” He nodded. “When I grabbed your hand, and we both felt that…that jolt between us?”

Fuck yeah, he remembered. He’d thought about that moment basically every minute of every day since.

“So…” she shifted uneasily next to him. “That was our first contact. The first time we’d touched, right?” He nodded again. “And that was the first time we each acknowledged the other as our soulmate.”

“Hold on.” Now he sat upright and met her gaze full-on. She withered a little under that blazing look he always gave her. “So you’re telling me that you’ve known we were soulmates…all this time?”

Kagome gave a tiny, almost imperceptible, nod.

Inuyasha let out a huge breath of air he didn’t realize he was holding. “Is that why I’ve been having all these…” he didn’t know what to call them “…all these _feelings_ for you? Since even before we touched?”

She smirked in spite of herself. “ _Feelings_? You have _feelings_ for me, Matsushita-san?”

He growled and looked away. “Don’t push it, Higurashi.”

“Matsushita-san,” she sighed. He still refused to look at her. So she leaned forward and rested her hand on his arm. “ _Inuyasha_.”

He gasped and again the rush of emotions flooded him. His skin was tingling; if he came into contact with water at that moment, he thought he might be electrocuted, his body was sparking so much. His youki burst out around him like a massive, crenellating fan, reaching for Kagome and trying to pull her in.

But he was going to fight this with everything he had. Because dammit, he could _not_ go through this. Not fucking again.

 _Kikyo, Kikyo, Kikyo_ …he chanted, over and over, until his youki receded. But Kagome’s hand still scalded his arm, her touch setting him completely ablaze.

She was leaning closer to him, and fuck if his body wasn’t acting outside of himself and responding. He felt himself moving closer to her; _fuck_ , he realized with a start, _she smells fucking divine_.

And then, before he could stop them, his instincts took over. His youki started to roar again, and he decided to hell with everything he ever knew. He pulled her close to him and pressed his lips to hers.

The shock of the moment was such that Inuyasha actually went stiff for a second, and then panicked when he realized that Kagome was rapidly freezing up, too. He made a concerted effort to relax into the softness of her lips, and found himself reveling in their wet silkiness. He fully let himself go, savoring her scent and her taste. She was the most fucking delicious thing he’d ever known: strawberries and sugar, and something else light and fruity: maybe a hint of orange? All flavors he loved, like his body had been prepping him for her his entire life. Her scent, which he’d been trying _not_ to enjoy for some time, clogged his senses, so that it was all he could experience: vanilla and lavender, tempting in their sensuality.

He was drowning. He was fucking drowning, in her taste and her scent and the fucking _feel_ of her. His hands somehow found her bun and pulled her hair free from the elastic, causing it to cascade down her shoulders. He tangled his fingers in the long tendrils, delighting in the softness of the strands. Her arms, which had dropped to her sides when he kissed her, now ran up his back and dug into his shoulders, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss. Again he was struck by the tremendous pressure—the tremendous _need_ —pooling in his groin and slowly building into a heated frenzy.

Inuyasha had to pull away. He had to stop this. All the things that could go wrong were flying through his mind—she could purify him, she could leave him, she could reject him on account of him being a hanyou—all things that told him he needed to put a stop to this immediately.

But he couldn’t.

She smelled too amazing and tasted too delectable and his growing erection was telling him to forget his rational side and allow his instincts to have their way. She moaned softly; her scent shifted into something spicy and cinnamon-y again, and he lost all sense of reason. He immediately took advantage of that moan and slipped his tongue inside her mouth. Her sounds became louder as she eagerly sought his tongue with hers, the two pulsing and exploring each other. Her arousal was spiking, and his cock was throbbing.

Fuck, if he didn’t stop this soon, he wasn’t going to be able to stop at all.

“Higurashi,” he whispered roughly against her lips.

She hummed a response, the vibration making his youki flare up around them even more.

 _Fuck_.

“Higurashi,” he said, a little more forcefully this time, pulling away from her slightly.

The break of contact was devastating for them both. Inuyasha felt that same pressure slam back into his body, as their growing mutual desire was suddenly severed. He kept hold of her, which helped ground him more. Kagome, on the other hand, actually whined at the loss of his lips and made to come after him again. He chuckled as he beheld her: eyes stormy and wild, cheeks flushed, lips swollen and pink. She had the look of a woman who’d been thoroughly kissed and wasn’t done yet. His youki preened that he had done that to her.

“What _is it_?” she growled, moving her hands to his shoulders and trying to yank him to her.

“Don’t you think we should, um, slow down, just a little?” He was now completely amused at how she was trying so hard to continue what they had started.

Kagome pulled away from him and pouted, blinking her eyes at him. She’d waited almost thirty years to find him, and he wanted to… _slow down_? What in the ever-loving hells was he thinking? How could he be so fucking _calm_ about this whole thing?

Of course. He was a hanyou. He’d been alive for only the gods knew how long, and had only the gods knew how many women. He was used to the rush of physical and emotional desire. For her, though, he was it.

He. Was. _It_.

“We are supposed to be working on a murder investigation here,” he added. Unhelpfully, in her opinion.

But the statement had its effect. Kagome huffed a little, but rose to her feet and held out her hand to him. Without thinking, he took it, and was again overwhelmed with the rush of physical and emotional desire for her. She smirked as she helped him to stand.

“That was dirty, Higurashi,” he said.

Her smirk only got bigger.

Inuyasha coughed a little and cleared his throat, in hopes of restoring some clarity in his thinking. “So, none of these women had found their soulmates, correct?”

“Correct.” He could almost hear her thinking, _And unlike them, I found mine_. Her face was radiant; her eyes were restored to their beautiful blue-gray color. Her aura practically hummed with reiki around her; she glowed a distinct shade of dusky rose. He couldn’t help but offer her a fanged grin. His youki was bouncing around him, urging him to finish what he started.

 _Maybe later_ , he told himself. _Her place…a little dinner, some drinks, and then…_

He shook his head, putting the images of Kagome naked and gyrating underneath him out of his head as much as he possibly could for the moment.

“Can I ask you a question, Higurashi?”

She blushed. “You can call me Kagome, you know.”

“I know.” He turned his fiery amber eyes on her again; she melted a little under his gaze, but held steady.

“What’s your question, Inuyasha?” She was _not_ going to play his game, and he didn’t mind at all.

He strode over to the board and looked at it, his arms crossed, his hands tucked under his biceps. “What happens to a miko’s power when she finds her soulmate?”

Kagome looked at him, surprised. That was not a question she expected coming from him.

“I don’t really know,” she said honestly. “Most mikos retire when they find their soulmates. It’s a sign to us that we’ve completed our priestess duties and should focus on raising the next generation of spiritual people.”

“Murasaki didn’t retire,” Inuyasha pointed out.

“Houshi and unmated mikos have traditionally been the ones to train the younger generations,” Kagome said. “I can’t think of any mated mikos who have stayed on at their shrines or done any kind of training.” Her eyes narrowed. “The story is that mated mikos lose their power, and they retire. To me that seems kind of sexist.” When Inuyasha looked at her, his eyebrows raised, she added, “well, mated houshi don’t lose their power, do they? Miroku has continued to get stronger. So, maybe mikos get stronger, too.”

“Then why wouldn’t they continue to train and run shrines?” Inuyasha asked her. “If they had powers, wouldn’t they want to keep using them?”

Kagome frowned. “I don’t know,” she replied. She looked back at the board, anxious to change the subject. “Something—something’s not right. But I can’t put my finger on what, exactly.” She traced her finger from the different spots in Tokyo that were marked on the board. “All the mikos except for Sarashina,” she said. “I know them, at least a little. Especially the three from the greater Tokyo area. And Ito is my good friend. But do you know what the other thing is that I see here, Inuyasha?” She paused. “Follow my finger.”

Inuyasha watched as she traced the different locations around Tokyo again. _Kanda…Sumida…Arakawa…_

“They’re circling Asakusa,” he said.

“Yes,” Kagome said, turning to him, her eyes large and defiant. Inuyasha felt his heart drop into the pit of his stomach. They both knew what that meant, without saying a word.

_They were coming. For her._

* * *

“There’s not a fucking chance in hell that I’m going to let you do this!” Kagome protested angrily, slamming two beers down on the chabudai. They’d left the station not long after the realization that whoever was kidnapping the mikos was targeting her; Inuyasha had been on the phone almost nonstop on the car ride from the station to her apartment. He’d stopped talking long enough for them to run into a convenience store and pick up some dinner; once they returned to the car, he was back on the phone with Totosai, trying to figure out how to set up protection for her. If it was up to Inuyasha, he’d just move her into his apartment until the threat had passed, but from what he knew of Higurashi Kagome, she was no pushover, and there was no way she would go for that. So he and Totosai were trying to come up with an alternate option.

“Higurashi,” said Inuyasha, “ _please_. If we’re right and whoever is kidnapping and killing mikos is coming for you soon, if not next, then you have to be protected.”

Kagome leaned back against her sofa and crossed her arms. “I don’t want the whole NPA watching over me like a hawk, Inuyasha. I can—”

“—take care of yourself, I know,” Inuyasha said exasperatedly. Why did she not listen to reason? She was in _fucking danger_. The incident at the school the night before should have told her this, at the very least. She’d seemed scared in that moment, but she was back to her usual defiant self again. Inuyasha growled.

His growl made Kagome pause her ranting and take several deep breaths. She leaned forward and sipped her beer; her eyes focused on Inuyasha’s. He felt his heart pounding in his chest. _Fucking hell, just from her looking at me_?

“I guess…” she murmured, taking another sip of beer, “I guess it wouldn’t be so bad if you were here with me.”

For the second time that day, Inuyasha felt like his normally incredibly perceptive ears were deceiving him. Did she just say…?

“Yes, Inuyasha,” she said with a wry smile. “If you want to stay with me, I’d…like that.” She dropped her eyes in what was probably embarrassment from the way her cheeks heated up, but he thought it was incredibly sexy. “A lot.”

Inuyasha scooted around the chabudai so that he was beside her, leaning against the couch. He took her beer from her hands and gently set it on the chabudai, then took both her hands in his. The rush of desire that overtook him threated to leave him speechless, but he was determined to get out what he wanted to say. He squeezed her hands a little tighter in an attempt to try and control himself.

“I need to know,” he said hoarsely. Kagome’s eyes turned up to his: big, questioning, beautiful.

So fucking beautiful.

“The wolf has feelings for you,” he said.

“Feelings that I don’t return,” she replied. “I can’t. But even more, feelings that I don’t want to return. I’ve never wanted to be with anyone, Inuyasha. There was too much at stake. I’ve worked too long and too hard and become too successful to quit now. In fact…” her voice trailed off.

“You don’t want to be with me, either,” Inuyasha finished in a dull voice.

Kagome leaned forward and rested her forehead against his. “The opposite, actually. I’ve found you, after all this time,” she said quietly. “I don’t want to let you go. Ever since we met, there’s been a pull between us, like the red string of fate has tied us together and is looping us closer and closer. And you should know…now that we’ve kissed, we’re going to be increasingly attracted to each other until we consummate the relationship.” She paused. “Probably after, too,” she added with a little laugh.

Inuyasha pulled back. He was both surprised and not surprised: not surprised because his desire for her had been increasingly exponentially over the past few hours in a way he had never experienced with any woman before her, not even Kikyo. But he _was_ surprised that there was an actual theory behind it; he just thought it was his youki trying to take over.

“Kagome,” he said, and her eyes widened in both shock and desire at his use of her given name. “I’ve been fighting an attraction to you since I first saw you outside the school. The way you challenged me, the way you hugged the girls, like you didn’t want to let them go…” He shook his head. “You’ve been doing things to me, woman, since before we touched that first time. But now…” he caressed her cheek with his hand, and thrilled when she involuntarily nuzzled him. “Now I will be damned if I’m gonna let you go.” He ran his clawed thumb along her cheekbone, and she sighed. “It’s like every moment of my life has been preparing me for this, for us to face this…whatever it is…together. I don’t think I would feel this way if you were gonna lose your power. And I don’t think I would feel this way if I wanted you to give up everything for me.” She gasped, and he held her face a little more firmly, but not so harshly that he could draw blood. “My feelings for you are because of _who_ you are, and that includes all of you, Higurashi. I can’t imagine you any other way.” He dropped his hand and lowered his head. “I’m sure you can’t say the same thing about me.”

“ _Inuyasha_!” Kagome cried out, and jumped into his lap, straddling him. When he looked up, she crashed her lips against his with such a force that his head snapped back against the couch. She was pushing him _so_ hard; he could feel his cock springing to life underneath her clothed sex. He closed his eyes and allowed her reiki to sweep over him, to sweep over both of them, creating a protective layer that felt heavy and warm and incredibly sensual. He groaned under the weight of her lips, and she used that as an opportunity to force her tongue into his mouth. She nipped his bottom lip and grazed his fangs with her tongue, and his youki howled with glee before he realized what she’d done.

“Dammit, Higurashi!” he hissed, pulling away from her. “What do you think you’re doing?”

She blinked at him innocently. “Kissing my soulmate?”

“You could have cut yourself!” he exclaimed. He rocked his head in his head. “Fuck, now you know why I’m no good for you.”

“Inuyasha.” Her voice was quiet and firm. “Why in all the hells would you not be good for me?”

He gaped at her, eyes wide, mouth hanging open.

“You’re not the only one who likes your soulmate, just as they are,” she said, her voice becoming soft as she took in his shock. “I have no intention of trying to convince you to be something you’re not.” She looked down at her hands, twisting the fabric of her shirt between them awkwardly. “But I don’t want to run the risk of giving everything up for my soulmate. I won’t lose my powers, Inuyasha.” She looked back up at him, her beautiful stormy eyes filling with tears. “I can’t.”

Inuyasha pulled her into his arms, wrapping her up and resting his cheek against the top of her head. “I understand,” he whispered. “I really do.” He scented her tears spilling over and down her cheeks. He gripped her tighter, his thoughts spiraling out of control. How could he reassure her that everything would be okay? His instincts were screaming at him to take her, to comfort her, to show her that nothing was going to happen to her power. He felt it as surely as he felt they were soulmates. He felt it as surely as he felt that he didn’t hate his bastard of a half-brother anymore. He felt it as surely as he felt that he was desperately, hopelessly, in love with her, and he would be damned if he lost her now.

Fuck. He _was_ in love with her, wasn’t he?

“Higurashi,” he said softly. She looked up at him, her beautiful pink cheeks tear-stained and blotchy. “How can you be sure that you’ll lose your power if we are together?” She stared openly at him. “Have you lost your power now that we’ve kissed?” he asked.

Kagome pulled away from him and moved up to the couch. She turned what he had just said over in her mind. She didn’t feel any less powerful; if anything, she felt _more_ power, more reiki flooding her body, mixing with Inuyasha’s youki. One would think that the two would be at odds with each other, but instead, they felt like two halves of a whole, finally fitting together. It helped her feel calmer and more at peace than at any other point in her life. Kagome closed her eyes and held out her hand. She retreated into a meditative state and called forth her power. Inuyasha allowed his youki to rush forward and meet her reiki, joining it and settling in her hand. He watched, fascinated, as first her fingertips, then her fingers, then the palm of her hand, all began to glow that same dusky pink. The glow moved up her arm, protecting her hand and her skin like a glove. Kagome looked down at her arm, her blue-gray eyes glittering like steel, and flexed her hand.

As she pulled her fingers towards each other, Inuyasha saw sparks of pink electricity shoot from her fingertips, pooling at the center of her palm. When she opened her fingers, a bolt of pink lightning shot from her palm upwards to the ceiling, hitting it with a resounding _CRACK_.

“Kagome!” Inuyasha yelled, tackling her to the side and covering her with his body as a piece of the ceiling fell to the floor and shattered, not even a foot away from where they came to rest. As the dust settled, Inuyasha and Kagome looked at the plaster on her tatami-mat floor, then at the ceiling, then at each other.

“Fucking hell, woman,” Inuyasha said desperately, “were you able to do _that_ before?” He rolled off her and helped her sit up, noticing that she was a little wobbly after that show of power.

Kagome’s mouth gaped at the floor and the ceiling. “No…” she said in a quiet voice. “Thank goodness no one lives above me, yeah?”

Inuyasha crushed her to him, losing himself in her hair and her scent. “Do you know what happened there, Higurashi?” he asked her in a rough tone. She shook her head, confused by what he was asking. “Right before you flexed your fingers, my youki came in to help you. Your reiki fed off my youki. They were working together to give you more power.”

Kagome looked up at him, searching his golden eyes for understanding. “So your youki helped me gain strength?” she asked him. He nodded. She frowned, her brow furrowed as she tried to understand what he was saying. Her breath was coming in short gasps; he felt her quiver in his arms.

“Here,” he said, picking her up and setting her next to him, “you need to eat.” He pulled a meat bun out of one of the bags and held it to her lips, allowing her to take small bites as he fed her carefully.

“I can feed myself, you know,” she protested feebly.

“Keh,” he replied. “Don’t lie. I know how much that took out of you. You need to regain your strength. We need you to stay strong, Higurashi.”

“We do, huh?” she murmured, chewing thoughtfully on the meat bun.

He laughed and pulled her back into his lap, still feeding her little bites of meat bun.

“So now that we both know that we’re soulmates,” he said, giving her a moment to chew before offering her some water, “what do we do?”

Kagome blushed and stayed focused on chewing for a moment. Inuyasha suddenly realized that she was a virgin. She was nearly thirty years old and a fucking _virgin_. His human side shivered in anticipation. That meant that she would be his, fully and completely. No one else would have tasted what he was about to taste. No one else would have touched her in the ways he was going to touch her. In all honesty, this both terrified and excited him. What if her first time was disappointing? How could he best prepare her so that it would be an incredible experience? It was a lot of pressure, being someone’s first and only.

But on the other hand, his youki was humming with all she was about to learn. He could teach her the best ways to pleasure him; he could teach her the best ways to pleasure herself. They would learn about each other’s bodies together, and he would use his experience to heighten the feelings they had for each other and they ways they could act on those feelings. _That_ was fucking hot. He felt his desire pooling in his groin, his cock straining against his jeans.

“Inuyasha?” her voice reached out to him from across the void, bringing him back from the brink of youkai imagination…

“What is it, Higurashi?” he asked, his voice soft and full of longing for her.

“Will you stay? With me?”

 _Yes_. _Yes. YES._

He smiled. “I will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOOOO....I hope that the wait was worth it!! You have all been so patient as Kagome worked out her insecurities and her stubbornness, and she and I are greatly appreciative. (But maybe not as appreciative as Inuyasha, LOL!)
> 
> In the next update: Inuyasha gets a late-night phone call that takes him away from Kagome. Inuyasha and Kagome both consider next steps in their relationship. 
> 
> Thanks again, so much, for reading, and see you all very soon!


	16. Reverence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha and Sango get a late-night call to a crime scene. Inuyasha and Kagome take a significant step in their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you're safe and well.
> 
> I'm on Tumblr! I did it! It's slow and awkward, so forgive me as I get used to the interface, but I'll be posting WIPs, as well as previews for Spirited Soulmates, The Fate That We Share, and the new InuKag Kendo Club story. I look forward to playing with everyone there! Find me at https://fawn-eyed-girl.tumblr.com/
> 
> And now, I am delighted to bring you Chapter 16 of Spirited Soulmates, another extra-long chapter, which contains lots and lots of romance and sexytimes. (You have been warned; heed the tags!) Please enjoy!

It was 3am when the phone call came in.

“Matsushita!” Sango barked into the phone when Inuyasha answered.

“What the fuck, Murasaki?” mumbled Inuyasha. He looked to his left; Kagome lay sleeping, an angel wearing nothing but a t-shirt and panties.

“Where the fuck are you? The Captain’s been trying to reach you. You need to get to the White Wolf immediately.”

He quickly checked his recent calls: four from Totosai. How had he slept through them all?

“I’m at Higurashi’s,” he said.

He could hear Sango snickering, even over the phone. “Is that so? Well, good for you two. It’s about fucking time.”

“No, it’s—it’s not like that, Murasaki!” he whisper-yelled. He paused. “She’s my soulmate.”

“Of course she’s your fucking soulmate,” Sango said impatiently. “She told me all about it.”

 _Of course she fucking did_.

“The White Wolf?” Inuyasha asked, struggling to his feet and looking for his pants. “What happened?”

“They found another miko here. In the dumpster, like the others. Thrown out with the trash,” said Sango bitterly. “Kouga’s here. The Metro PD want to bring him in for questioning.”

“That’s fucking ridiculous,” Inuyasha growled. “Kouga would never hurt a miko.”

“You and I know that,” Sango replied, “but the idiots from Metro don’t. So get your ass down here, _now!_ ” She ended the call.

Inuyasha found his pants and pulled them on. He looked at Kagome, still sleeping peacefully. He had been hoping that maybe, she’d be willing to do in the morning what he’d been waiting for all night; she’d been too hesitant, and he’d been too nervous, to do anything other than kiss and hold each other. Now he was kicking himself for not taking the initiative and having his way with her earlier.

He didn’t want to wake her; even though there was nothing between her and Kouga, the wolf was still her friend. He hated having to tell her what was happening.

He felt around the bedroom for his button-down shirt, finding it on the back of her desk chair. He slipped it on, as quietly as possible, and took his holster off the desk. He was gonna have to bring her back to his place next time; he didn’t love the idea of his firearm laying around her apartment unprotected while they slept. 

“Inuyasha?” came the small, sleepy voice from the mattress.

He went back and sat beside her. “Hey,” he said tenderly, running his claws through her hair. “I have to go.”

“So late,” she murmured.

“I know; I’m sorry,” he replied. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. I’m going to have an officer come keep an eye on your building. In the meantime, don’t answer the door for anyone except for me, Murasaki, or the bouzo, okay?”

“What’s going on?” she said, struggling to sit up.

 _Fuck_. “Nothing,” he said, gently pushing her back to the bed. “I’ll call you.”

“You’re not leaving here in the middle of the night for nothing, Inuyasha,” she replied, lifting her face to his.

Inuyasha sighed; he couldn’t resist that sleepy little face. He leaned forward and kissed her softly.

“I really have to go,” he said again. “Murasaki will have my ass if I don’t.”

“Sango?” she said, sitting all the way up and fully awake. “Did they find another miko?”

“ _Kagome_.” He was urgent now. “I have to go. Please. I’ll call you as soon as I know something, okay?”

Kagome huffed laid back down, turning away from him. “Fine.”

“Don’t be like that, Higurashi,” he said roughly. “I don’t know what I’m walking into. Please let me call you when I know more.”

“Fine,” she huffed again.

He leaned over and rolled her so she was on her back, the feel of her skin against his searing. “I’ll be back,” he said huskily, ghosting his lips over hers. She whined a little.

“I’ll miss you,” she said.

“I’ll bring you back some breakfast,” he said. “I promise. So long as you don’t open the door for anyone but who I told you.”

She nodded. “Dorayaki again?”

He chuckled. “Whatever you want.” He ran his claws through her hair again. “Go back to sleep, koishii.”

She smiled and closed her eyes. “Good night, Inuyasha.”

Once he was sure she wasn’t going to get up and follow him, Inuyasha headed quietly out to the washitsu. He grabbed his leather jacket and slipped on his shoes. He left the apartment and immediately got on his phone, calling headquarters.

“This is Matsushita. I need someone down at Higurashi’s apartment,” he said brusquely. “ASAP. I’ve gotta run over to the White Wolf and see what’s up there.”

“It’s the middle of the night, Matsushita.” It was Jinenji, the overnight dispatcher. “I don’t know if we have anyone available.”

“Fuck, Jinenji,” Inuyasha swore, “I don’t care if you have to come over here and watch her yourself! _Get someone over here. Now_.” He hung up as he reached his car. He jumped in and started the engine, hitting the gas and speeding towards the White Wolf.

* * *

Kouga’s nightclub was teeming with police and NPA when Inuyasha pulled up. The lights from the police cars were dizzying. Inuyasha slammed the door of his Subaru BRZ and strode up to the club. He flashed his badge at the officers outside and went in.

The club was exactly as Inuyasha remembered it: dark, seedy, neon lights of the signs reflecting onto the bar counter. Kouga was sitting in a booth with Sango and Officer Shippou. He looked incredibly pissed.

“This is a setup, you know!” he was saying heatedly when Inuyasha came up. His eyes narrowed at the sight of his rival. “Mutt-face,” he said, “are you behind this?”

“What the fuck are you even talking about, you stupid mangy wolf?” Inuyasha shot back. “I’m here to _help_ you, you bastard.”

“Like fucking hell you are,” Kouga muttered.

Inuyasha sighed and rubbed his temples. Sango dragged him out of a warm bed with his beautiful soulmate for _this_?

“Look, Kouga,” he replied, clinging to the last shreds of compassion coursing through his veins, “I’m not here to fight with you. Can you tell me what happened?”

“I already told _them_ ,” he spat, nodding at Sango and Shippou.

“Maybe you can humor me, then,” he replied.

“We already took his statement, Detective,” squeaked Shippou. “I can give you my notes if you want.”

Inuyasha growled. Seriously, fuck this guy.

“Murasaki, Shippo,” he said, “I got this. Murasaki, can you give me five minutes? _Please_ ,” he added when he saw the look on Sango’s face. “Higurashi would never forgive me.”

Sango softened. “Five minutes, Matsushita,” she warned. “Then Officer Shippo and I will be back.” She grabbed Shippo’s arm and pulled him away.

Inuyasha took the moment to slide into the booth opposite Kouga. The Lord of the East looked like shit; his eyes were bloodshot, his ponytail was mussed, and his deeply tanned face was lined with worry.

“All right, Kouga,” Inuyasha said, leaning forward, “tell me what’s going on.”

“Nothing, mutt-face, I swear!” Kouga exclaimed. “Ginta went out back to check on a late-night liquor delivery, and smelled something funny coming from the dumpster. He checked on it, and there was a…a _body_ ,” he choked out. “A body… in our fucking dumpster. He came in and told me, and I called the cops. That’s it.”

“What time was this, Kouga?” Inuyasha asked.

Kouga looked at his phone. “It was about 11:00. So four-ish hours ago?”

“And you called the cops right away?” Inuyasha asked.

“Well, within thirty minutes!” Kouga said harshly. “I had a nasty guy I had to deal with as soon as Ginta came back in here. As soon as I got rid of him, I called it in.”

Inuyasha nodded. “Where’s Ginta?”

“Your captain’s been questioning him,” Kouga said half-heartedly. “We didn’t do anything, Inuyasha.”

“Fuck, Kouga, I know that.” The wheels were spinning in Inuyasha’s head. Why would the Metro Police be all over Kouga like this? There was no way he’d be the one kidnapping and killing mikos. Not with his attachment to Kagome, or his “job” at her school, or his role in the Human-Youkai Treaty. Fucking morons. Suddenly, something clicked.

“This is a distraction, Kouga,” Inuyasha said. “Whoever is behind this wants to distract us from the reality of the situation.”

“Which is what?” Kouga asked.

“Hells if I know,” Inuyasha admitted. He ran his hands through his hair, trying to sort out what they knew, and what they didn’t.

“Sit tight,” he said to Kouga, and got up. He saw Sango and Shippou talking to Totosai and Ginta. “I’ll be back,” he added, and went over to join his captain and his partner.

“Ginta,” Inuyasha said, “Kouga tells me that you’re the one who discovered the body.”

“But you also didn’t report it right away,” Shippou interjected excitedly. _Fucking kitsune fucks,_ Inuyasha grumbled internally. _Too hyper for this job._

“We were distracted by a guy we had to throw out of the club,” Ginta said.

“That’s what Kouga told me,” Inuyasha added.

“Finding a dead miko at the Lord of the East’s club is very bad news, Matsushita,” said Totosai, looking Inuyasha right in the eyes. Inuyasha immediately knew that Totosai believed Kouga was innocent, but that he had to tread carefully with the Metro Police all over this.

“Who do you think would want to frame him, Captain?” asked Inuyasha.

“Frame?” Shippou squeaked. “The miko was found in his dumpster. He didn’t call it in for almost thirty minutes.”  
  
“And I wonder about that,” Inuyasha said, ignoring the kitsune.

“You think it was a distraction, Matsushita?” asked Sango.

“What do you think, Murasaki?” he replied.

“It’s a definite possibility,” Sango admitted. “Distract him, keep him from calling it in… it makes Kouga look guilty. Or at least like he knows more than he’s saying.”

“But he’s had a history of harboring killers,” Shippou said.

“Which only shows how fucking ignorant you are, runt,” barked Inuyasha. “Kouga would no sooner harm a miko than he’d harm his betas. He consulted Higurashi Kagome, one of the top mikos in the country, on the Human-Youkai Treaty. It ain’t him.” Shippou hissed softly in reply and let out a bit of his youki. Inuyasha snickered, ignoring the kitsune’s attempt at intimidation.

“Maybe not,” said Sango thoughtfully, “but someone put an awful lot of thought into where to leave this body.”

Inuyasha nodded. “Who do we think it is?” he asked Totosai.

Totosai frowned. “Not sure yet. Hojo’s on his way.”

Inuyasha sighed. “I guess we better settle in for a bit, then. Oi, wolf!” he barked at Kouga. “Got anything to make some coffee? We’re gonna be here awhile.” He turned to Ginta. “Tell me everything you remember about the guy who caused a distraction at the bar and kept you and Kouga from calling it in.” He paused. “Including his scent, if you happened to notice it.”

* * *

Dorayaki and coffee in hand, Inuyasha rang the buzzer outside the lobby for Kagome’s apartment. It was just after nine; he was exhausted and needed to chill out. Sunday was normally his day off, but he told Totosai to call him with any developments. He kind of wished he hadn’t done that, since he didn’t really want to go anywhere on the night of the new moon. He never did.

“Who is it?” a tentative voice called out on the intercom.

“It’s me,” he replied.

The buzzer sounded, and the door clicked. Inuyasha opened it and sped up the three flights of stairs to her apartment, mindful of the coffee in his grip.

When he reached Kagome’s apartment, he paused for a moment, taking deep breaths and trying to compose himself. The night—morning, really—had been fucking awful. After Inuyasha talked with Ginta, he and Kouga first tried to sniff out the club for the scent of the man who’d distracted them. But the scents were so intertwined it was hard to discern any one, particular scent. Then, they had gone back out to the crime scene and tried to sniff out any strange scents. But the PD had already been all over the site, and once again, there were too many scents mixed together for either the dog or the wolf to pick up anything definitive. Inuyasha had been pissed; he needed to know if that scent from the school and from Ito’s shrine was there, but it was impossible to tell. He snickered softly, remembering how he’d thrown a total fit and unleashed his youki on the PD in his anger. He’d shown that Officer Shippou something, that was for sure.

Inuyasha leaned against the wall and frowned. He was concerned that whoever was kidnapping and killing mikos also seemed to know a lot about Kagome, and about Kouga. They had known enough to target him specifically, revealing they knew the Lord of the East’s connection to the miko. They also knew that Kouga’s club had been the subject of a raid that had led to the capture of a serial killer. He supposed none of this was secret—anyone could gain the information through a quick Web search, if one knew what one was looking for. But still, the way the information was being used? It was a bit unnerving.

He sighed. He’d been out here too long; Kagome would be concerned that he hadn’t come right up to her apartment. He decided to go ring the bell so he could finally see her again.

Because, dammit, he needed _her._

* * *

For about the hundredth time that morning, Kagome looked at the time on her phone and sighed. After Inuyasha had left, a little after 3am, Kagome had found it impossible to get back to sleep. She tossed and turned; she padded around her near-empty kitchen, scrounging for food; she watched some mindless television; she took two showers in an attempt to relax. She realized that she needed to go grocery shopping, she needed to find a good drama to watch on Netflix, she was out of her favorite body wash, and she needed to work on her meditative skills yet again. Of course, the latter might have something to do with a certain golden-eyed hanyou who kept invading her mind while she tried to only concentrate on her breathing.

Now, stretched out on the couch, an old anime blaring softly on the television, Kagome scooped up Buyo and scratched behind his ears absent-mindedly with one hand, while the other lounged behind her head. Things with Inuyasha had gone about as well as she could have expected—no, scratch that. They went _better_ than she had expected. He had been receptive, he basically admitted he had _feelings_ for her, and the way that he kissed…

Kagome shivered and snuggled under Buyo for warmth. Okay, so she’d never been kissed before, but that… _holy hells_. If all his kisses were gonna be like that, she might never let him leave the house again.

But while his kisses were magic, it was really the way that he respected her and her body and her decisions that impressed her and attracted her to him the most. He had been the first one to pull back when they were in the NPA headquarters, afraid of taking things with her too far, too fast. She’d been the one totally swept up in his kisses, the feel of his hands in her hair, the taste of him on her lips.

Kagome brought her hand from behind her head and touched her lips. She could still feel him there, his youki lingering around her, offering her protection despite his distance. His musky, sandalwood scent. But, his taste…he tasted like…and this sounded crazy, even to Kagome…but of her favorite black sakura tea, and a hint of mint? Two things she absolutely loved, and when she’d tasted them on his lips, she’d wanted to tackle him and basically just lick his face all over—no, lick his _body_ all over—like she was the one who was part inu youkai.

And then, before bed that night, they’d kissed some more, and the heat of their kisses made Kagome feel warm and tingly in places she didn’t know she could feel warm and tingly. But, she didn’t know what to do about it, and he didn’t want to push her. And while that was totally charming and responsible of him, she had to admit: she kind of wished that he _had_ pushed her, even a little.

Because the truth was, she _wanted_ him. All the gods in heaven help her, she desperately, completely, hopelessly, _wanted_ him.

She was tired of longing looks over a body in the medical examiner’s office; she was tired of feeling the heat of her desire for him at crime scenes; she was tired of being _so close_ to him, but not able to touch him.

Kagome just wanted to fuck him. Was that too much to ask?

Sure, she’d never had sex. She’d never even kissed anyone until last night. But holy hells, she wanted him. _Badly_. She wanted to know what it was like to have him hold her, kiss her, caress her skin, touch places that only she had ever touched. She wanted it all, even if she didn’t totally know what “all” meant. She just knew she had to have it. She had to have _him_.

Her rational side knew this was the soulmating talking, not her. She knew it was pheromones and gods and whatever else went into creating a soulmating bond, but she _needed_ him.

Now.

She looked at her phone again: nearly 9. He’d been gone the rest of the night, and dammit, she missed him. So much. Kagome opened her phone and was about to send him a text to see how he was when the lobby buzzer sounded. She jumped up, dumping Buyo unceremoniously on the floor, and went to the intercom. She pressed it. “Who is it?” she asked, a little tentative.

“It’s me.” His voice was rough from being up all night.

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief and pressed the buzzer to let him in. Relief flooded her core as she leaned against the wall and waited to detect his youki in her hallway.

Inuyasha was here. He was _home_.

And she’d be able to show him just how much she missed him.

* * *

As Inuyasha made to knock on the door, he heard the locks clicking, and the door slowly opened. “I knew it was you,” Kagome said, her blue-gray eyes peering out from under her dark bangs. Her face was pale. “I was worried.”

“Keh,” he said, “I’m fine.” He held up a coffee tray and a bag. “I brought you breakfast.”

Her eyes lit up and she opened the door all the way. “Come in,” she said shyly.

He stepped into the genkan and slipped off his shoes, then took off his jacket. He kept his holster on. “How was the rest of your night?”

She turned those huge eyes on him again. “I didn’t sleep.”

 _Oh_.

“Then, I guess you will really need this?” he replied, offering her the coffee.

She took it gratefully. “Thanks.” She offered him a small smile and led him into the washitsu. They sat at the chabudai and Inuyasha took the dorayaki out of the bag.

“Are you going to tell me about where you went last night?” She wasn’t wasting time getting to the point; that was for sure.

“You won’t like it, Higurashi,” he said to her, handing her a dorayaki.

“Try me.” Her face was resolute, her voice a little icy. But she still took a bite of the sweet treat.

“I got called to the White Wolf. Ginta found a body. It matches what we’ve found so far with the missing mikos.”

“At the White Wolf?” Kagome gasped, her face going white, the dorayaki slipping from her grasp.

Inuyasha nodded. “Murasaki and I think that it’s a smoke screen. To distract from whoever’s really doing this.”

Kagome leaned back and rubbed her face tiredly. “Only a fool would think Kouga was going around kidnapping and killing mikos.”

Inuyasha leaned forward and put his hand over hers; they both shivered from the contact. “We’ll figure this out, Higurashi,” he said. “I promise.”

Kagome couldn’t wait another moment; she’d waited her whole life, and he was here, and he was eager, and he was _so fucking sexy_ in his button down and jeans _._ She leaned forward and pressed her lips tentatively to his. The shock that coursed through his veins at the sudden contact made him groan against his better judgment. “Kagome,” he whispered against her lips.

“Hush,” she murmured. “I want to finish what we started last night.”

“Are you sure? Now?” He cupped her face in his hands and gently stroked her cheeks.

Her aura flared up around her; his youki billowed out in response.

“Yes,” she breathed. “Let’s go to my room.”

Well, _fuck_ if he was gonna deny her when she was this willing.

Inuyasha lifted her easily in his arms. She felt so good, so _right_ , there. He didn’t want to let her go. He couldn’t help it; his lips found hers and massaged them tentatively, gently.

“Now, Inuyasha,” she whispered, nibbling at his lower lip. He growled in response and licked at her lips. “ _Now_.”

Inuyasha carried her across the room to the bedroom door. He held her in one arm while he opened the door. He crossed into the bedroom; she snaked her arms around his neck and kissed him, pouring all of her desire for him into her efforts. She let loose a little bit of her reiki; he hissed at the pressure of her power against his skin.

“Fuck, Higurashi,” he breathed.

“Bed,” she said, letting her reiki spark some more against his skin.

Inuyasha growled, his youki rising into a swell, intertwining with her reiki. He gripped her tighter and knelt beside the bed, laying her down gently.

He hovered over her, his amber eyes searching out her blue-gray ones, seeking permission to proceed. She smiled and blinked her eyes at him prettily. Inuyasha lowered himself closer to her, kissing her lips, her nose, her cheeks; she moaned softly and drew her face upwards to meet his, leaving her neck arched and exposed. He pressed his lips to her neck, taking a moment there to breathe in her sweet scent. She smelled of lavender and vanilla again, so fresh; he detected a hint of water on her skin from what he assumed was a shower. He looped one arm under her neck and pulled her closer; she kissed his cheek, where his ears would have been if he were human, then ran her nose down his jawline and kissed the swell of his throat, offering little nibbles of his skin. He closed his eyes and allowed her to explore; she kissed his chin, then the corner of his mouth, then his lips. She ran her tongue along the seam of his lips; he chuckled and readily allowed her access to his mouth.

Gods, she tasted fucking divine. He remembered her sugar and strawberries taste from the night before, only now, her taste was heightened by her arousal: a little cinnamon, a little orange, some sweetness, some heat. She reached forward and made to start unbuttoning his shirt.

“Wait a minute,” he whispered, and sat up. She whined a little but watched him, eyes eager, as he removed his holster. He opened a drawer in the nightstand and slipped it inside, reminding himself to stop at his apartment and lock up his firearm next time before coming here. Satisfied his weapon was out of the way, he turned back to Kagome.

“Now,” Inuyasha breathed, “where were we?”

She sat up on her knees to face him, and began unbuttoning his shirt again. He watched her, amber eyes blazing, his skin on fire as her nimble fingers worked the buttons in his shirt. Each time the pads of her fingers brushed his bare skin, he felt a searing shot burn through him. He wanted to grab her, to throw her to the bed, to make her his, over and over and over.

But he didn’t dare.

He wanted her to take the lead for as long as she wanted. He wanted her to feel safe, to feel warm, to feel loved.

Kagome finished with his buttons and slid his shirt up and over his shoulders, then down his arms. She allowed her fingers to play over his biceps, enjoying the feel of his skin, coupled with the corded muscles underneath. Every tendon, every vein, every dip and curve—Kagome wanted to feel all of him, to revel in every bit of his luscious self.

Inuyasha watched her take him in, watched her feeling his body, and kept his youki under firm control. He could see she was trembling, whether from fear, or nervousness, or desire, or some combination of the three, he couldn’t be sure. It was sexy; it was endearing; and he knew, this was Kagome, and this would be Kagome, for as long as they were going to be together.

“Inuyasha,” she whispered, now ghosting her fingers over his chest.

“Higurashi?” he asked.

“You—feel good,” she said.

He tried to hold in a laugh. “Do I get to feel you, or is this all you want to do?”

She blushed. “No,” she replied. “You—you can touch me.”

He reached up and nuzzled her nose with his. “Your pace,” he breathed, kissing her softly.

Her blush grew deeper. “I—I don’t really know what I’m doing,” she admitted.

“Kagome.” His voice was soft, but firm. “You’re doing great.”  
  
“Can I—can I put my lips on you some more?”

Inuyasha couldn’t help it; his youki howled and rushed to surround her. Her reiki sparked up against it, and he hissed as they crackled together. “You—you can do whatever you want,” he answered in a choked voice. She closed her eyes; he held his breath as she pressed her lips to his chest, tentative at first, but as she felt the electricity passing between them, her kisses became harder, more insistent. She nipped at his pecs, then, feeling bolder, his left nipple, then his right. He swore that his skin was smoking; her mouth was so hot and so moist, teasing him into a quiet fervor.

Kagome took her time, exploring his body with her tongue, her hands, and her teeth. She found herself at his stomach, worshipping his abs with her tongue, burying her nose in the soft, silver hair that started just below his belly and inhaling his deep, musky scent. She felt nervous, but safe, as though her fingers, her lips—her entire body, really—had been waiting for this moment, all her life. Had been waiting to touch him, to taste him, to smell him.

She arrived at the waistband of his pants and she froze. Theoretically, she knew what she was supposed to do, but logically? Now, in the moment? Was she really prepared to see _all_ of him?

She thought that she was. She really did.

Inuyasha sensed her trepidation and pulled her back up to him for a slow, languid kiss. He felt her body, so tense with fear, and nervousness, and shame.

“It’s okay, koishii,” he whispered. “Let me, okay?”

Kagome nodded, trying to hold back her tears. “I’m sorry,” she breathed.

“Nothing to be sorry for,” he said softly. He pulled her to him. “If this is too fast, we can wait. I will wait forever for you.”

“No,” she said immediately. “I—want you. I really do. I’m just…” she sighed, and the tears fell. “You’re—you’re—” she didn’t know how to say it, but she felt the crushing weight of his age, of his _experience_ , and she felt like she could never be enough. She was a virgin at almost thirty years old…what could she possibly have to offer him?

Inuyasha sat up and pulled her into his lap, kissing her tears gently. “You are enough, Higurashi,” he said roughly, guessing her thoughts. “I’ve been alive a long time, and seen and done a lot of things. But believe me when I tell you: you are fucking enough for me.” He kissed her forehead, her eyes, her cheeks, her lips. “I just want to be close to you. Whatever that means, however you want it. I want _you_ , Higurashi. However you want me.”

Now she began to cry in earnest; he was being so sweet, so understanding, so gentle, so unlike himself. Would being with her change him, make him different than he was? Would it change her?

“Why the tears, Higurashi?” Inuyasha asked. He was becoming slightly alarmed at her emotional state, but refused to show her. Instead, he held her more closely, allowing her to dip her head back to look deeply into his eyes. Not for the first time, he stopped breathing; her stormy eyes held his golden ones so firmly he simply could not look away.

“Inuyasha,” she whispered. “Please.”

“Please, what, Kagome?” He brushed a wild strand of dark hair away from her face.

“I—I want you to make love to me,” she said. “But—” her face turned a beautiful shade of dusky rose, to match her reiki “—I need you to show me.”

He smiled gently, then reached forward to capture her lips. Her sadness, her fear, her anxiety…he wanted to wash them all away with his love. Slowly, he felt her relax again, and he played with the hem of her tank top. “Is this okay?” he whispered. Her eyes large and shining, she nodded, and lifted her arms. Inuyasha pulled her shirt carefully up and over her head, and then sucked in his breath at her wine-colored lacy bra. Her pearly skin stood out against the color of her bra beautifully.

“Fuck, Higurashi,” he breathed. She looked at him, her eyes wild. “You’re fucking gorgeous.” And he buried his face in the swell of her breasts as she gasped.

He didn’t kiss her, or lick her, or nip the skin; he just rested his face there, in between her breasts, inhaling her sweet scent, allowing her to become used to his presence. Slowly, she brought her hands around to the back of his head, softly running her hands through his hair, gently stroking the soft down of his ears. They remained like that for several moments, until Inuyasha finally brought his lips to the swell of each breast, kissing them reverently, relishing the softness of her body, of her skin, of her. Kagome began to breathe heavily, her chest heaving as he lavished attention upon her.

He was shocked when she moved her hands around to her back and unhooked her bra. He pulled back slightly to allow her the space to remove it from her shoulders, then drop it beside her bed. He openly stared; he couldn’t help it. Although he had seen her in tank tops before, he had never realized how large, or how round, or how perfect, her breasts were. The pearly pink of her skin grew softer as it approached her areolas, which were the same dusky rose as her reiki when it manifested, and culminated in two beautiful, pert nipples. He longed to take them in his mouth and suckle them, but he refrained, choosing instead to reach out and hold one breast in each hand, carefully taking note of how they felt—full, silky, pliable. His youki was by now bellowing its desire, but he refused to let it take control. Maybe one day, when she was ready. But not today.

“May I?” he breathed. Still blushing, she nodded, and he lowered his lips to feel the softness of her skin. He wanted to moan aloud, as though he were the one being touched so sensually. Instead, he moved his lips purposefully over her breast; he heard her quake and keen softly above him. When he fit his mouth over her nipple and licked, then suckled, she cried out his name, fisting her hands in his hair. She tugged at him gently, and he turned his attentions to her other breast, moving his hand up to play with the nipple he had just left, flicking it lazily between his claws. Kagome’s wails now grew louder, pushing at his shoulders and grinding her hips into his lap. He grinned to himself, knowing he was the first man to give her such pleasure.

With a sigh, he pulled his mouth off her nipple, making a soft _pop_ with his lips, then lifted her off his lap and laid her down gently on the bed. He tugged at her leggings, and she lifted her hips, allowing him to draw them down the length of her legs and leave them pooled on the floor. Her panties were the same wine color as her bra, and he growled with pleasure.

Yup, it was getting really fucking hard to hold back.

Instead, he nuzzled her thighs, becoming heady with the scent of her arousal. He knew that as soon as he removed her panties, it would hit him hard, and he needed to hold onto his humanity and not let completely loose. He massaged her legs, reveling in the feel of her muscles and the softness of her inner thighs. All the while, Inuyasha watched her; her blue-gray eyes closed, her breaths coming in short sighs. She was fully enraptured, and just from his touch.

He couldn’t wait to see what she did next.

Inuyasha reached up and tugged at her panties. Kagome gasped and looked up at him. “I want to get you ready, Kagome,” he said softly. “Is this okay?”

“Get me ready?” she repeated faintly.

He chuckled. “Do you trust me?”

She nodded. “I do. I trust you.”

He hooked the waistband of her panties in his thumbs and gently pulled down. Like with her leggings, she again lifted her hips and allowed him to tug them down the length of her legs, and off beside her leggings on the floor. Now he had a full view of her, and fuck, if it wasn’t brilliant.

Inuyasha ran his tongue up the inside of her left leg, across the apex of her sex (which was already soaked), and back down her other leg. He felt the shivers overcome her body and he glowed. Using his fingers, careful not to scratch her with his claws, he opened her thighs even wider, and was promptly bowled over by the sweet scent of her desire. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking deep breaths, loving the way she smelled and felt. Holy fuck, it was a billion times better than smelling her panties in her dresser drawer. He took the pad of his thumb and moved it between her soft folds, looking for that bundle of nerves he knew would drive her insane. Her gasps told him that he was getting close, and then he felt it, buried among the short dark curls, and she let out a series of curses that told him he’d found it exactly. He slowly ran his thumb around the outside of her clit, then massaged the nub a little more roughly. She started trying to rub her thighs back together; he took that exact moment to thrust her thighs apart and plunge his tongue inside her.

Kagome shrieked when he felt Inuyasha penetrate her. She’d used her own fingers for exploration before, sure, and she’d had those dreams about him, but nothing prepared her for the real, actual thing. His thumb running over her rapidly swelling bud, his tongue swirling inside her—how did people do this more than once in a row? His tongue and fingers were cool, but she was white-hot—she was burning, burning, and lighting fire to everything around her. Her body blazed as his ministrations awakened her reiki even further; she was bursting.

Kagome’s hands fisted the bed as she tried to get a grasp on something to squeeze. Her thighs kept wanting to crush his head, because _fuck_ , whatever he was doing down there felt so _fucking good_ and she couldn’t control herself. He kept mixing up his movements, so that she was continually surprised; the needy feeling of warmth and desire pooling in her groin was getting tighter and tighter. Then he pinched her clit between his fingers and thrust his tongue inside her, and she moaned wantonly as the world exploded around her and she came into his mouth.

As she lay there, panting, slowly shaking her head from side to side, coming down from one of the few orgasms she’d ever had, she had the faintest idea of seeing Inuyasha’s face peering up from between her legs, glistening with her juices, a wicked smile on his face.

“Inuyasha,” she breathed, “what…?”

And he thrust a finger inside her.

 _Fuck_ , she was so tight, and so slick, how could he keep himself from growing harder and harder? His cock was throbbing painfully inside his jeans, and he needed to rip them off and bury his shaft deep inside of her.

 _Not yet_ , he told himself. _She’s not quite ready_.

So he inserted a second finger, scissoring it gently with the first, opening her up for him. This time, he watched Kagome’s face as she grappled with the new sensations. His youki stopped bellowing long enough to preen as her beautiful face, red and breathy from her orgasm, now became lost in the throes of his renewed efforts. He felt her walls quaking around him, and it was all he could do to hang on.

“Come on, Higurashi,” he growled. “You’re so close. Come for me again.”

“I don’t—” she gasped.

He rested his palm on her mons, digging the heel of his hand into her tender button as he thrust his fingers, rougher and more rapidly now, trying to prepare her for what was coming next. The feel of his palm grinding into her clit was more than she could take, and she let loose a howl and a jolt of reiki that made him radiate with pride; her walls closed in around him, and he felt her juices flowing around his fingers.

He’d made her orgasm twice in less than ten minutes. He was ready to up that number to three.

Slowly, her muscles still spasming around him, Inuyasha removed his fingers and licked them, giving her a fanged grin.

“You—you’re—you’re incredible,” she whispered at last.

He leaned forward and kissed her softly; she quivered at tasting herself in his mouth. “ _You’re_ incredible, Higurashi,” he murmured against her lips. He moved back and stood up. She sat up and yanked him back to her.

“Let me,” she said, and with shaky hands, she unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans. He held her hands steady as together, they slipped his jeans and boxer briefs over his hips and down to the floor. Kagome watched, wide-eyed, as his cock sprang free and she was practically face-to-face with it.

Before Inuyasha had so expertly prepared her, Kagome had been terrified of this. She had only seen a penis in books, and a human one at that, and didn’t really know what to expect from a hanyou. But now…she saw his girth, and his length, and her breath hitched, but not from fear. Instead, Kagome reached out and took him in her hands, pulling him slowly to her.

Inuyasha, meanwhile, was flush with both amusement and desire for her. She was touching him, and was now using his cock to draw him to her? Obviously, he had done his job, gotten her good and aroused, and helped her forget her nervousness. His youki roared with anticipation.

Kagome ran her fingers gently over his cock, feeling it pulse eagerly in her hands. She giggled.

“He’s happy to see me?”

“Oh, Higurashi,” Inuyasha replied, his voice thick with lust, “you have _no_ fucking idea.”

“Maybe he needs a little attention too,” she purred, and ran her mouth along the length of the shaft.

 _Fuck_ , Inuyasha saw fucking _stars_ when she did that. He growled and gripped her shoulders, and she pulled back. “Was that not good?” she asked hesitantly.

“No,” he rasped, “you’re fucking amazing. Just…” his cock still in her hand, he pushed her down onto the bed. “Let’s save that for another time, okay? _I need you_.”

Kagome heard the intent in his voice and nodded timidly. “Okay,” she said softly. She ran her hands up the sides of his chest and cupped his face tenderly. “I’m ready,” she said. “Are you?”

“Just about,” he said. He got up from the bed and turned back to his bag, which he’d left hanging on the back of her desk chair. He reached into the front flap and pulled out a condom. _Thank the gods in heaven he’d thought to pick them up when he went to the convenience store for breakfast._ He tore the wrapper open, tossed it aside, and rolled the condom over his cock. Once it was secure, Inuyasha returned to the bed and laid beside her.

“This could hurt a little,” he said. “Are you sure?”

Kagome nodded. “Please,” she said.

He kissed her again, gently, pouring his feelings into his lips, the electricity between them providing all the heat. He tenderly rolled her onto her back, and positioned himself above her. “Look at me, Higurashi,” he encouraged her, holding her gaze steady. As he dropped down to capture her lips with his, he pressed inside her slowly, carefully, ready to stop in a heartbeat if that was what she needed.

As they joined, Kagome felt an incredible rush of energy flooding her body. She had heard that the first time was supposed to hurt—Inuyasha had just said something similar—but all she felt was…joy. Pure joy, unadulterated joy, coursing through her entire body. Her nerve endings were singing; her body lit up from within as her reiki leapt around her, shifting from a dusky rose to a brilliant magenta.

“ _Inuyasha_ ,” she moaned. “Oh, gods, _Inuyasha_.” And she pulled him as close to her as she could, her hips rocking against his.

 _Well,_ Inuyasha thought with elation, _this was certainly unexpected_.

He figured that her first time would be slow, and painful, and rough for both of them. He was not counting on the rush of pure bliss that captured his entire body. He wanted to bellow with glee as he fucked her; he wanted to unleash the joy emanating from the core of his being. He finally allowed his youki to jump free, and it galloped around them both; it found her reiki, and the two merged and became one, wrapping Inuyasha and Kagome up in their shared power.

“Faster, please,” Kagome whispered, and he realized he’d been so caught up in his feelings that he’d forgotten he was supposed to be moving. _When the fuck had that ever happened before_? Swiftly, he pulled himself back into the moment, and began to thrust slowly into her. She continued to hold him tightly, raining kisses on his face, his neck—anywhere she could reach. She was trembling underneath him, and he folded her in his arms and drew her close, shifting his hips, guiding her to follow his motions. Clinging to him, their foreheads touching, Kagome picked up on his rhythm, rolling her hips in time with his.

And gods, it felt _magnificent_. No, he thought; “magnificent” was too weak a descriptor. It felt abso-fucking-lutely divine. In two hundred years he had met a lot of women, and been with a fair amount of them, but it was Kagome where he’d found his home; it was Kagome who lit something in his soul that caused him to burst with fucking sunshine and joy and all the good things that he believed had to exist somewhere in the world.

And they did.

They existed in her.

“Inuyasha,” she whispered, and he crushed his lips to hers.

Kagome moaned as he pressed even closer. She was rapidly understanding why some people couldn’t wait to have sex, and she was also understanding why some people would wait a lifetime to do it with the right person. Inuyasha was the _right_ person. Their bodies fit together, like two halves of the same whole, finally finding each other. Now that she had him, she never intended to let him go.

Together, they were being lifted higher and higher on the throes of each other’s passion; they were all flesh and sex and love and souls, all joining, all at once. She was so hot, so tight, so slick, it was almost more than he could take.

“Kagome,” he growled, and she reached up to stroke his ears as he drove into her. She ran her hands delicately over the downy fur on the outside of his ears, then brought her hands down to lightly massage the base of each ear. He buried his face in her neck and nipped at her skin, intoxicated by the way it released her scent. “Kagome,” he growled again, this time a little more forcefully, his hips meeting hers in a more frenzied, wilder motion. She wept in response, and opened her legs more. She accepted him, reverently.

Kagome didn’t know what was happening, but she felt a quickening in the very core of her being, one that encouraged her to lift her hips harder and faster, to meet him, to _feel_ him, more deeply. She whispered his name; why couldn’t he get inside her more deeply?

Close—Kagome was _so_ close. To what, she wasn’t entirely sure, but she needed release—a gratifying, desperate release. So she tugged on Inuyasha’s ears and blew her sweet breath across them.

And Inuyasha just about lost his damn mind.

His movements became quicker, harsher, more desperate. He began licking her neck fervently, sliding one hand between them to tease her bundle of nerves at the spot where their bodies met. The burning in the lower regions of Kagome’s belly slowly started to pour through her body, the tightness pulling up and in and drawing him along with her. Kagome quaked and called out his name, and he roared hers in return as they reached their heights together, their auras joining, gleeful that they were finally, finally, one.

Together, they fell back on the bed, Inuyasha pulling her close into his side. They lay that way for several minutes, their breaths coming in short gasps, trying to process the moment. Inuyasha nestled his face in her hair, closing his eyes, luxuriating in the afterglow of lovemaking with Kagome.

 _His soulmate_.

Inuyasha sat straight up. What had he just done? To himself, and more importantly, what had he just done _to her_?

“Holy fuck,” he whispered.

“Inuyasha?” Kagome mumbled. She’d almost been asleep.

“Oh, fuck, Kagome,” he said, smoothing back the strands of her hair that had fallen into her sweet, sleepy face. “I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo....what has Inuyasha's youki in such a twist? Why is he apologizing to Kagome? Find out in the next update, and as always, thanks so much for reading <3 <3


	17. Processing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha tries to sort through his issues. Someone gets unwelcome news. Kagome breaks up a fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello friends! I hope that you are all staying safe and doing well.
> 
> I just wanted to say a quick thank you to everyone who commented on the last chapter! I so appreciate it. Cliffhangers are not my forte, so I was so happy to read your thoughts (and duck any flying objects, lol!). 
> 
> Welcome to the next chapter (another nice, long one); please enjoy!

It had taken several minutes to calm Kagome down after he’d lost it and started swearing and apologizing at random. She’d sat up, concern lining her lovely face, and it took all he had to kiss her and reassure her and promise her he was just overwhelmed, and fearful he’d hurt her.

Which wasn’t far from the truth, actually.

Once she’d gone back to sleep, Inuyasha quietly crept out from under her and got dressed. He went out to the living area and fed the cat quickly. Then he grabbed her keys from the counter and slipped into his shoes. He left the apartment, carefully locking the door.

And fuck, he knew he shouldn’t leave her alone, but he really needed some space to think things through.

Instead of taking his car, Inuyasha opted to walk the streets of Asakusa, taking in the cool Sunday November air. The crispness was helpful; it was clearing out his head. He’d been living with the ghost of Kikyo inside his head for so long, and he couldn’t shake the question of whether or not he had just resigned Kagome to the same fate as his ex-girlfriend.

He’d been totally confident the past twelve or so hours that, despite what they knew, Kagome’s power seemed to be _growing_ as a result of their connection, not waning, as was the traditional belief. But still, in the moment after they’d finally completed their bond, when he was no longer clouded by the desire to take her, he had begun to panic.

What if they were wrong?

What if he was giving her false assurances?

Frantically, Inuyasha thought about what he knew, trying to work through the tightness that had started in his chest and was spreading throughout his entire being, hoping to find some solution and quell his fear that he hadn’t just relegated Kagome to a life as a wife and mother, without any of her powers—something he knew she didn’t want.

First, sex with someone other than a miko’s soulmate. Kagome and Kikyo both seemed convinced that if a miko were to have sex with someone other than their soulmate, she would lose her powers. That would mean, then, by default, having sex with one’s soulmate meant that a miko would actually hold onto her powers. He thought that Kagome seemed to be proving this true. The destruction of her apartment ceiling was definitely solid evidence, as was the merging of her reiki with his youki when they touched, and then, when they made love for the first time. (His youki bellowed at that, and wondered why the _fuck_ he’d left her at the apartment to wander the streets.)

So why, then, did all the married mikos disappear, and seem to lose their powers?

Or, Inuyasha wondered, were they _giving up_ their powers, and just not talking about it? Or were they being _forced_ to give up their powers? He frowned. Those were very different ideas. And perhaps worth exploring in more depth.

He _maybe_ had an idea on how to do that.

That was the first point he was trying to work out. The second point turning over in his mind was why in all the hells the gods would decree that a hanyou would be an appropriate soulmate for a miko.

The reasons against such a union were endless. Historically, youkai and mikos (and, by extension, all humans) were sworn enemies, so theoretically, in the eyes of the gods, a hanyou should be considered a product of an unholy union. Inuyasha knew logically that his parents loved each other—his parents were even soulmates _and_ had a child—but hanyous in general were rare, and hanyous that were the product of a youkai/miko soulmating were basically unheard of. He was the only one that he knew for sure existed, and his mother had certainly _not_ been as powerful as Kagome. The popular belief still held that mikos and youkai could not possibly be joined. Mikos had the power to purify youkai, and until the treaty was signed a few years ago, youkai wanted to annihilate the spiritual community. And possibly, some of them still did.

So, there was that point. And then, there was his lifespan.

Youkai, and by extent, hanyou, lived long lives. Inuyasha tried to think back to his parents’ own lives. Had his mother aged like other humans? Was his father afraid of losing her? These were questions that never seemed to be explored in any kind of detail. His parents existed; they were in love; they loved him. That was all that mattered at the time. His mother had died when he was a child; he had no concept of his mother growing older.

But still, Inuyasha couldn’t help but feel sick at the thought of Kagome aging and dying, while he remained the same. It was inevitable. And that just seemed like the cruelest trick of all.

Inuyasha checked his phone; he’d been gone over two hours, and he had a missed phone call from Kagome that had come in thirty minutes before.

“ _Inu—Inuyasha_?” came her tentative voice through the speaker. “ _It’s me—it’s Kagome. I woke up and you were gone. Can you call me and let me know where you are_?” There was a brief pause, then a “ _Thanks_ ” before she disconnected.

He looked around, feeling slightly panicked, and realized he had no idea where he was. He activated his phone’s GPS and took off, knowing that Kagome would be incredibly worried about him, and by extension, about everything that had just happened between them.

* * *

Kagome rolled over on her futon and grabbed her phone, squinting at the time. It was… after noon? She groaned and raised her arms over her head to stretch, then flopped onto her other side, running her hand along the mattress, searching for a certain half-demon soulmate.

The bed was empty.

Kagome blinked, allowing the world to come into focus. She searched the room.

He wasn’t there.

Kagome took a deep breath. It was late—he had the day off, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t be working somewhere. She sent out her reiki, checking the apartment for him.

He wasn’t there.

_It’s not a big deal_ , she told herself. _Not a big deal_.

She grabbed her phone and dialed his number. Voicemail.

“Inu—Inuyasha?” she said softly. “It’s me—it’s Kagome. I woke up and you were gone. Can you call me and let me know where you are?” She paused. “Thanks.”

She sat up in bed fully and looked around. Everything that indicated a man had spent the night and a good part of the morning in her room was gone. His jacket, his shirt, his pants…all gone.

Kagome felt a crushing blow in her chest; her breath came in short, quick gasps. She recognized these feelings.

It was the beginnings of a panic attack.

_Breathe, Kagome_ , she told herself. _Breathe_. She practiced her meditation breathing to help her gain control, and drew her vision into her inner eye. She sent out her reiki, forming a barrier, even though there was no physical threat to her in the room. It just made her feel better, knowing that she could protect herself like this. She felt warm and safe, like no one could hurt her.

It had been a long time since she’d felt the urge to construct a barrier like this, but for some reason, Inuyasha’s absence made her feel…empty. Alone. Potentially despondent.

The barrier…it helped.

Kagome rose from the bed, barrier still intact. She padded over to her dresser and pulled out a t-shirt and a pair of gym shorts, threw them on, then opened the door to her bedroom and went out into the main living area. A familiar mewing drew her gaze down.

“Buyo,” she said affectionately, picking up her cat and snuggling him. Apparently, he was unbothered by her barrier.

Buyo meowed loudly and nuzzled her cheek, then jumped down from her arms. A quick look into the washitsu showed her that Buyo’s bowl was full. _Inuyasha must have done that before he left_ , she thought. Her heart tugged painfully at the loss.

“A shower,” she whispered. Still half-asleep and ensconced in her barrier, Kagome toddled into the bathroom. She turned on the showerhead, and while she waited for the water to run hot, she looked at herself in the mirror, expecting to see something different, something…changed.

Instead, she saw a woman with dark circles under her eyes, mussed hair, and worn, sallow skin. The lack of sleep the night before had gotten to her. The stress of the case, of running the school…it was all getting to her.

She checked the water. Nice and hot.

Kagome sat on the shower stool and ran the showerhead over her face, rubbing the water into her skin and making little groaning sounds at the warmth. She moved the showerhead up and down her body, feeling the heat and pressure of the water running over it gratefully. Kagome grabbed a washcloth and poured some body wash on it, then proceeded to scrub her body down, the tears starting to overflow.

Logically, she knew she was being ridiculous. A man was allowed to have a life—a life that didn’t always have to involve her. But the last eighteen or so hours had easily been the most incredible that she’d ever experienced, and where was the man who had made it so? Why did he leave? Where did he go?

And why didn’t he call? Or leave a note?

The showerhead clattered to the floor and she buried her face in her hands. _You’re being ridiculous, Higurashi_ , she scolded herself. But still…

She had an image of what it would be like to wake up after her first time. Kissing him softly until he awoke, snuggling in close, feeling his body surround hers with warmth, perhaps making love again and again….

Showering alone in her bathroom was definitely not part of the plan.

“You’re a fool,” she whispered, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. “A fool and a sucker.”

“You’re neither of those things, Higurashi,” came the deep, rumbly voice she had been expecting all along.

“Inuyasha,” she breathed, looking up, forgetting that the showerhead was spraying all over the bathroom.

He stood leaning in the doorway, looking down at her, his face unreadable, his hands hooked in his jeans pockets.

“I’m sorry I was so long,” he murmured. Her scent was off; she’d been crying. Was it his fault?

“It’s okay,” she said softly. “I woke up and didn’t know where you were, though.”

He went to her and knelt down so they were face-to-face; she suddenly realized she was naked and made to cover herself. Inuyasha took her hands and lowered them slowly. “Don’t,” he breathed. “You’re beautiful.” And he leaned forward and kissed her; she rejoiced in the fact that the kiss was still as electric and powerful as ever.

“Inuyasha,” she purred against his lips.

He pulled back. “Let’s get you dried off,” he grumbled. He picked the showerhead off the floor and placed it back in its holder, then switched it off. Kagome watched as he took a towel from the rack and held it in one hand, extending his other hand to her. She smiled gratefully and allowed him to pull her to her feet. Inuyasha wrapped her snugly in the towel and kissed her forehead.

“Get dressed,” he said. “We have to talk.”

Kagome froze. Inuyasha let go of her and left the bathroom. When he sensed she wasn’t moving, he turned around. “Please, Higurashi,” he said roughly. “I brought you lunch. You eat. I talk.”

She nodded, and followed him out of the bathroom and into her bedroom. She saw that he had laid out some clothes for her: a huge, cozy sweatshirt and a pair of leggings. She looked up at him, smiling, tears in her eyes.

“Why are you crying?” Inuyasha asked, alarmed.

“You picked out clothes for me,” she replied. “But you forgot the underwear.”

He blushed, and her smile got bigger.

“I’ll be outside,” he said simply, giving her space and closing the door behind her.

Kagome pulled a bra and panties out of her drawer. She dropped her towel to the floor, and slowly got dressed, her mind reeling. Where had Inuyasha gone? Why was he back? And why did he want to talk? So far as she knew, “talking” never led to anything good. And yet—he was still so tender with her, so gentle. He couldn’t be mad at her. Could he?

Inuyasha was sitting at the chabudai when she emerged from her bedroom, teasing Buyo. He had brought ramen, and was teasing Buyo with pieces of chicken from one of his bowls. Buyo was growling and hissing, but Inuyasha kept the chicken dangling just out of the cat’s reach.

“Can you not torture the cat, please, Inuyasha?” Kagome asked him, smiling slightly.

He looked up, his face still that unreadable expression. “I brought ramen.”

She sat beside him. “So I see.”

He dropped the chicken into Buyo’s eagerly waiting mouth. “We have to talk.”

“What about, Inuyasha?” Kagome’s voice was gentle, but her eyes showed her fear.

Inuyasha took a deep breath. He’d spent hours this morning walking around the city, turning things over in his head. Now he needed to figure out how much to tell her, what to tell her, and, most importantly, _why_ to tell her.

“You need to know about Kikyo,” he said.

Kagome’s hands paused over the lid on her ramen bowl. “Nakaya Kikyo?” she whispered.

“You—you know her?” He was incredulous.

Kagome shrugged. “It’s a small world, Inuyasha. Especially in spiritual circles, remember?” She paused. “Wait, how do _you_ know her?”

“I dated her for a few years,” he said.

Kagome choked and sputtered on her own saliva. “I’m sorry,” she said, coughing. “I thought you said that you dated her?”

“I did,” replied Inuyasha. “Until she found her soulmate.”

“That was like six months ago, right?” Kagome asked. “I remember that. It was a huge deal. She was…very powerful.” Kagome sighed. “We weren’t close, but we moved in some of the same circles. I had no idea she was in a relationship before her soulmate.” She paused; her voice was small. “I’m sorry.”

“Keh,” Inuyasha said. “I can’t pretend like it was no big deal.” He looked at her; hard. “I thought she was it for me, Higurashi. She didn’t want to…you know.” He flushed and shifted his gaze. “But I didn’t care. I was willing to wait for her for as long as she needed. I had no idea why she didn’t want to do it, but like I said, I thought that we had time.” He stopped and took a deep breath. “Until we didn’t.

“The day she told me someone else was her soulmate, Higurashi,” he continued, “I felt so fucking stupid. Like she’d been playing me all along. She swore up and down that she didn’t think she would ever meet her soulmate, and she was happy with me. And I think that she was, until she found out that she was drawn to someone else, that her love had been decreed by the gods.” His voice had turned bitter; Kagome’s face paled.

Inuyasha turned to Kagome, detecting a shift in her scent again. He knew it was because of him. He wanted to stop and comfort her, tell her that he didn’t feel that way about _her_ , about the gods making them soulmates, but he also needed to get through everything he had to tell her. _Everything_.

“The last six months, I’ve been…challenging,” he said sourly. “Murasaki could tell you stories.”

Kagome snorted. She bet that Sango could.

“But then I did Murasaki a favor and picked her girls up from miko school, against my better judgment,” he said. “I was running late, because traffic that day was a bitch, and there was no place to park, and we’d had a hell of a day at headquarters. I owed Murasaki a favor, so there I was, walking down the sidewalk, and there you were, holding onto the girls like the fiercest auntie bear in the world.” He paused, looking down at his hands, picking at his claws. “I think I was first drawn to you that day. Even before we touched.” Now he looked up at her, holding her gaze with those eyes—amber eyes that never failed to set her on fire.

“Inuyasha,” Kagome whispered.

“Higurashi,” he replied suddenly, “do you know how old I am?”

She stared at him, confused by the shift in topic.

“I’m two hundred years old, give or take five or so years,” he said. “That’s a lot of life. And I’m bonded now to a human—a miko, for that matter—and I will outlive you. I may outlive our children, and our grandchildren.” He sighed. “A hanyou is always destined to ultimately be alone. That is part of our fate.”

“Inuyasha, hold on—” she said.

“—Dammit, don’t you know, Higurashi?” Inuyasha growled, slamming his fist on the table. “I’m no good for you as a soulmate! Every day will bring me closer to a day without you!”

Kagome crawled to his side of the chabudai and cupped his face in her hands. “I don’t believe it,” she said softly. “There has to be a way for us to be together.” She kissed him gently. “We’ll figure something out, okay?”

“But that’s not all, Higurashi,” he said desperately, “there’s so much I have to tell you—”

“—and we have all the time in the world for you to tell me,” she said, kissing him again. “Just please, don’t get caught up in your head. Not right now. Not when I need you.”

“Kagome,” he whispered against her lips. “I need you, too.”

“Then that’s all that matters,” she murmured, and pressed her lips to his.

Inuyasha groaned into her mouth and tangled his hands in her hair; she pushed her tongue against his and could feel his youki pulsing with desire. Whatever it was that was worrying him, they would work it out, together. She was sure.

She unleashed a little bit of her reiki to comfort him; he pressed her closer. He _needed_ her in a way that he had never needed anyone else. She was inside him, all around him; her scent a constant source of intoxication. Why did she keep so much liquor in the house? He had her. And that was enough.

That was _everything_.

The sound of the lobby buzzer caused them to break apart. “Whoever it is, they’ll go away,” Inuyasha muttered, drawing her back for another kiss.

The buzzer sounded again; two sharp staccatos this time. Kagome hummed his name, and his lips went numb from the vibration.

“I need to get that,” she whispered, getting up and going to the door. He watched her lazily, a grin of contentment crossing his face.

Kagome pressed the intercom. “Who is it?”

“ _It’s me, Kagome. Let me up_.”

Kagome turned back to Inuyasha, whose grin had already settled into a scowl. Kagome sighed.

So, _this_ was also happening today, was it? _Great_.

“Okay, Kouga,” she said, pressing the buzzer for the lobby door lock. “It’s open.”

* * *

Inuyasha was still sitting at the chabudai, his scowl firmly in place, when Kagome let Kouga into her apartment. Inuyasha knew that Kouga probably hadn’t slept; he had still been at the White Wolf when Inuyasha had left that morning, and there had still been members of the Metro Police Department milling around. Kouga’s mood was bound to be foul, and it wasn’t about to get any better.

“Kagome,” Kouga said when she let him in, “and the mutt.”

“Always a pleasure, wolf,” Inuyasha said, grumbling slightly. He would not let the wolf get to him today. Not when he had everything he ever wanted.

“Sit, Kouga,” Kagome said. “Do you want some ramen?”

Inuyasha let out a little growl; he couldn’t help it. That was _their_ ramen.

“I can’t stay, Kagome,” he replied. He paused, then looked at Inuyasha. “Why are you here, anyway?”

“Matsushita-san has been keeping an eye on me,” she said quickly before Inuyasha could burst in. “Friday night, someone was at the school after you left. I called him, and he and Sango investigated. They both agreed that I shouldn’t be alone. I stayed at Sango’s Friday night, and last night—”

“I stayed here with Higurashi,” Inuyasha finished smugly. He couldn’t help it.

Kouga’s eyes got big; Kagome’s, on the other hand, narrowed and she gave Inuyasha a deathly glare. His ears immediately laid flat, becoming hidden in his silver hair; he just had to open his big mouth, huh?

“Matsushita-san,” Kagome said softly, “can you give Kouga and I a few minutes alone? Perhaps you can check with Sango and see if there have been any new developments.” When he opened his mouth to protest, she kept talking right over him. “Please?” she implored him. “Maybe Sango has information that could be useful to Kouga, too.”

Inuyasha knew when he’d been beaten. He rose. “Fine,” he said. “Fifteen minutes.”

“I’ll text you,” she said. He snarled lightly, but didn’t push things. He rose and gave her a knowing look; she blushed slightly as he put on his shoes and left the apartment. Kouga watched them both intently, but said nothing.

Kagome waited until she was sure he had actually left, and then motioned for Kouga to sit with her on the couch. He did so warily, perched on the edge as though he expected her to yell, or as though he planned to run. His blue eyes searched hers for answers. She knew he was hurt; she knew that he had loved her for a long time. And although she had made her case very clear to him, repeatedly, she also knew that this was not going to be an easy conversation. She just hoped that he would still want to be friends after this, because she did care about him, very much. Just not in the way that he wanted.

“Kouga,” Kagome said quietly, “how is everything at the White Wolf?”

Kouga growled and looked away from her. “Murasaki is working with the MPD on the case. They haven’t identified the body yet, but I came by to tell you that she expects to be able to call you with news soon.”

“Matsushita-san said they questioned you,” replied Kagome.

Kouga’s face paled slightly. “They did. He and Murasaki were a huge help.” It looked like it pained him to admit that. “Fucking Metro Police don’t know shit about anything. They just were going in for a kill, any kill, without thinking about the big picture.”

“I’m sorry this happened,” she said.

“It’s fine,” he said carelessly. “So long as we get closer to finding out who is behind this.”

They were silent for a few moments; then, Kouga spoke again.

“You said someone came to the school Friday night after I left?” He couldn’t keep the growl of regret out of his voice.

“It’s not your fault,” she assured him. “You had to leave.”

“But I shouldn’t have left you there alone!” Kouga burst out, burying his face in his hands. “Fuck, if something had happened to you…”

Kagome scooted closer to him on the couch and gently peeled his hands away from his face. “Nothing happened,” she said softly. “I’m okay. My students are okay. Inuyasha got there quickly, and Sango wasn’t far behind.”

Kouga shook his hands free from hers, noticing that she called Inuyasha by his first name, and quite casually, too. “You called the mutt first.”

She shrugged. “He’s NPA. And, I needed his nose.”

Kouga paused for a long moment, looking her over carefully. “You’re different, Kagome. Your scent is…” His eyes narrowed. “You smell like the mutt.”

“I—I do?” Apparently ookami senses were stronger than she thought.

Kouga stood up and began to pace the washitsu, his face twisted in anger. “Fuck, Kagome, did you have to do that?” He threw his arms out. “What about me? What about _us_?” His voice grew bitter. “What about your _powers_?”

Kagome stood too. “Kouga,” she replied, “you know there is no _us_. There can never be an _us_. You’re my friend. I care about you.”

“Fuck caring!” he shouted. “Have you just been playing me all this time? Using me for some sick game? Delighting in the fact that you had me wrapped around your little finger? Was everything you told me about losing your powers a lie?”

“Gods, Kouga, _no_!” Kagome exclaimed. “It’s not like that!”

“Then what is it like, _Ka-Go-Me_ ,” Kouga mocked her. “Or can’t you tell me?”

“He’s my soulmate!” she yelled. Kouga stilled and stared at her, his head cocked in confusion. “Inuyasha is—he’s my soulmate,” she repeated, more gently this time.

Kouga remained stock-still, staring at Kagome as though he was seeing her for the first time. “How…how in the name of the gods is this possible?” he breathed.

“What?” Kagome blinked at him.

Kouga looked around wildly. He grabbed a bowl of ramen off the chabudai and hurled it against the wall, the bowl shattering and contents splattering across the room. Buyo meowed loudly and ran for the safety of Kagome’s bedroom.

“What the _fuck_ , Kouga!” Kagome hissed.

“No, Kagome, that’s my question,” he retorted, his eyes bleeding red. “I love you! I have loved you for _years_! And this is the thanks that I get? For standing by your side, for supporting you?”

“Kouga…” Kagome choked back a sob, her heart breaking, unable to speak.

Kouga now began to pace the room. “And why did it have to be the mutt?” he ranted. “Why him? If it were anyone else, I _might_ be able to deal with it and not lose my shit. But this is too much, Kagome. It’s too fucking much!”

Kagome sank onto the couch, pressing her face into her hands. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m sorry.” The tears came fast and furious.

Kouga watched Kagome—watched her crying—and something in him broke. The anger went out of him like air out of a balloon. He sighed and ran his hands through his hair, mussing his ponytail. He sat beside her on the couch, and she leaned into him. His breath caught as he put his arms around her, comforting her, even though a moment ago, he was the one who had lost everything.

“Kagome, Kagome,” he said tenderly, stroking her hair. “I’m the one who’s sorry.”

“I can’t—control who my soulmate is, Kouga,” she sobbed. “I can’t control who the gods have decreed I be with. I’m so sorry.”

“I know,” he replied. “Logically, I know. You’ve been very clear from the beginning.”

“But it still hurts.”

“It does.” His voice was quiet.

They sat like that, for a few moments, Kagome’s tears subsiding slowly as Kouga continued to stroke her hair. Kagome had to admit: it felt nice— _really_ nice—but she wished it was Inuyasha comforting her instead. Her heart twisted.

“Can I ask you something?” Kouga said.

Kagome pulled back and looked into his eyes; the red had retreated, leaving them the same piercing blue Kagome had always known. “Anything,” she replied, and meant it.

This question was going to hurt. “How—how did you know?”

Kagome paused.

“You know what I mean, Kagome.” His voice was quiet, but firm.

She did.

“You won’t like the answer.”

“Humor me, please.”

“Okay.” She sighed, and took Kouga’s hands into her own. “What do you feel?” she asked him softly.

“Your hands?” he said confusedly. “They’re—they’re soft, and gentle, and so _you_.”

Kagome smiled sadly. “The first time Inuyasha and I touched, it was… _gods_ ,” she breathed, “it was… _electric_. And then things just…snowballed from there.”

“So from a touch, you knew?” His voice was distant, hard.

“Yes.”

“So that’s how you knew we weren’t soulmates.”

“Yes.” Her voice was barely a whisper.

He was silent, turning her hands over gently in his. His bright blue eyes darkened.

“It’s okay,” he said automatically, as if trying to reassure her, not himself. “Really.” He rose, paced the room again, then turned back to look at her. “I’m gonna need some time,” he said.

“I understand.” She really did.

“I’m sorry about the…” he gestured towards her ramen-covered wall. “Let me help you clean it up.”

“You don’t have to,” she whispered.

“Well, then,” Kouga said, “I’ll see you tomorrow?” She nodded. He made to leave, but Kagome called out his name, and he stopped.

“You have been a _very_ good friend to me, Kouga,” she said softly, the tears spilling over again. “I hope that I’ve been the same to you. Because I’d like to keep being your friend, if that’s all right.”

He paused, then opened the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Kagome.” And he went out the door, and closed it, leaving Kagome weeping on the couch.

Kouga stopped outside her door, listening to her tears. He cursed himself briefly, for allowing himself to dream that what they had was enough—that it would have _always_ been enough—because now it was terribly clear that it could never have been. Not for him. Kouga wrenched himself away from the door, and made his way back to the stairs, away from Kagome, and the life he had always imagined was possible.

But then Kouga went through the stairwell door and saw Inuyasha was hanging around the lobby, and the rage that Kouga had felt?

It all came rushing back.

The detective was leaning against the wall in the lobby, lost in thought. He knew Kagome and the wolf needed to talk, but he really wished they didn’t have to. He wanted to send his youki to comfort her, but he knew he had to give her space. When she texted, he’d be ready to fly back up to her apartment and give her whatever she needed.

He should have felt trepidation about leaving Kagome alone with Kouga, but instead, all he felt was…relief. He’d been so worried that she would be angry, or reject him, or… _something_. But it was becoming increasingly clear that Kagome didn’t care about any of the things that worried him; she didn’t care about any of their differences. She only cared about him, and he _really_ just wanted to care about her. But he had so many concerns, some of which were well-founded, especially the whole lifespan thing. But she was right. They had plenty of time to talk—plenty of time to work things out.

Inuyasha was so lost in his ruminations that he didn’t sense the wolf coming up on him until it was too late.

Kouga slammed his fist into Inuyasha’s face, thrusting him back into the wall with a crash. Inuyasha felt his jaw snap, then rapidly pulled himself together just in time to avoid another punch to the face, blocking Kouga’s fist with one hand and mashing the other into the wolf’s gut. Kouga grunted and flew back against the opposite wall, leaving a huge crack in the plaster. Inuyasha worked his jaw back into place.

“What the fuck is your problem, wolf?” he snapped, dodging another fist, only to have Kouga hit him square in the chest.

“If it had been anyone else,” Kouga panted, circling Inuyasha like a predator, “I would have been upset, but I could have gotten over it. But god-fucking-dammit, it just had to be you.”

“Kouga,” said Inuyasha rapidly, using his best detective voice to try and calm the ookami down, “we can’t do this here.”

“I don’t give a _shit_ where we are, half-breed,” Kouga sneered, “so long as I finally get to beat the ever-living _fuck_ out of you!”

Inuyasha lost all sense of law and order and roared as he smashed his fist into Kouga’s face. He felt the wolf’s nose break, and grunted as Kouga slid to the ground. He landed a harsh kick to Kouga’s midsection, and let the Lord of the East quiver under his foot for a moment.

“This is _not_ about you, or me, you damn wolf,” Inuyasha growled, landing another kick. “This is about Kagome, and you _will_ respect her and her decisions.”

“Of course, I fucking respect her,” Kouga rumbled loudly.

“Then respect her fucking decision!”

Kouga shot to his feet and landed another punch to Inuyasha’s jaw. Fuck, the wolf was fast.

“I respect her decision,” bellowed Kouga, “but I don’t respect that it’s you!”

Inuyasha snarled and crashed his shoulder into Kouga’s midsection, causing him to go flying. He loomed over the wolf now, his fangs dripping in anticipation.

“You’re too cocky, and you’re a real ass, you know that?” he growled. “I should’ve taught you a damn lesson a long time ago.” He raised his fist high; Kouga scrambled back and sprang to his feet. The youkai and the hanyou circled each other, growling and snarling, fangs bared and dripping, ready to fight to the death.

A huge, billowing sheet of reiki suddenly flooded over the two, settling between them, effectively separating the wolf from the dog. Confused, Inuyasha and Kouga looked around for the source of the reiki. It was Kagome: she was standing in the doorframe that led to the stairwell. Her blue-black hair swirled around her, mixing with her reiki; her steely eyes flashed in anger, and her outstretched hands held the wall of reiki between Kouga and Inuyasha steady.

“Gentlemen,” she hissed, “what are you _doing_ in my lobby?”

Her voice was rough, and terrible; Inuyasha detected a hint of tears. He instantly felt guilty; his ears flattened against his skull, and he dropped to his haunches, pulling back his fangs, submitting to his soulmate.

Kouga, on the other hand, growled again and tried to go after Inuyasha. Kagome’s hands flew upwards, and the reiki wall grew solid; Kouga bashed his skull against it. He yelped and his hands went to his head as he sank down.

Kagome entered the lobby, keeping the wall of reiki between the two men. “What in all the living hells has gotten into you both?”

“Kagome, I’m so sorry…” began Inuyasha.

“No, Kagome,” interrupted Kouga, “it was me. _I_ attacked the mutt.”

Kagome let her reiki go in her shock; it hit the ground with a mighty shake and shattered into pieces before it was absorbed back into the air. “Kouga,” she breathed, “ _why_?”

Now Kouga took a step back. “You know why, Kagome,” he said simply. He looked from her to Inuyasha, still in a submissive position. “You fucking know why. I’ll see you tomorrow.” And he left the lobby, tossing about his youki in his anger as he walked.

Kagome and Inuyasha looked at each other, astounded. Inuyasha watched the color drain from Kagome’s face, and he sprang into action, wrapping her in his arms as she fell to her knees.

“Kagome, Kagome,” he whispered frantically, “are you okay?”

“Just a little too much,” she replied with a soft laugh. “I’m okay. Please just take me back upstairs.”

“Easily done, koishii,” he answered her, and lifted her carefully into his arms. She rested her head on his shoulder, and he carried her up the three flights of stairs, back to her apartment.

Once inside, Inuyasha saw the mess that was her washitsu: ramen broth and ingredients splattering the wall, the shattered bowl, the tatami mat floor, the chabudai. Buyo was licking the wall eagerly, lapping up the soup and its contents. Inuyasha bit back a growl. He should have fucking killed the wolf while he had the chance. But right now, Kagome came first. She had to.

Inuyasha took her to the bedroom and laid her on the futon. “Can I get you anything?” he murmured.

Kagome shook her head. “Just, stay with me, for a bit?”

“Of course,” he replied.

He laid down beside her and drew her into his arms. She rested her head on his chest. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I’m so sorry.”

He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “What for?”

“I didn’t know Kouga would…go after you like that,” she said hesitantly.

Inuyasha laughed quietly. “Honestly? I think he was looking for an excuse. He’s had it in for me ever since we raided his club.”

Kagome echoed his soft laughter. “And you weren’t anxious to beat his ass?”

Inuyasha’s laugh became significantly louder. “Maybe so.”

Kagome traced his chest through his shirt with her fingers. He shivered at her touch and nuzzled her hair. “I thought you needed to rest,” he said huskily.

“I do,” replied Kagome. “But, you just feel so damn good.”

“If you rest now, koi,” he said, “we can play later.”

She closed her eyes and let her reiki out just a bit, enough to keep him tempted.

“Promise?” she asked.

He lifted her up so they were face-to-face, and he kissed her gently. “Promise,” he replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Kouga! He is _not_ having the best day, is he? :( This chapter was heartbreaking for me to write, because he is one of my favorite characters, and I don't like seeing him hurt. But it had to happen, and it's always better to rip off the band-aid, right? I think?
> 
> In the next chapter: Inuyasha makes some decisions, Kagome and Sango go to headquarters to examine the body from the White Wolf, and Kagome is in for a shocking surprise!
> 
> I've been posting little previews of each chapter to Tumblr before uploading the full chapters here. If you'd like to get those previews, follow me [here](https://fawn-eyed-girl.tumblr.com/). Otherwise, I look forward to seeing you all at the next update, and as always, thanks SO MUCH for reading!


	18. Surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha takes care of Kagome. Sango and Kagome go to headquarters to examine the latest victim. Kagome is in for a huge shock!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime. 
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you are safe and doing well.
> 
> I want to offer a huge THANK YOU to everyone who commented on the last chapter. I always appreciate reading your thoughts on all my work, but the discussion of Ch. 17 was especially wonderful, thoughtful, and insightful. You guys had A LOT of opinions on Kouga/Kagome/Inuyasha, and I loved every single one! You really made me think about some of the choices in that chapter, and as a result, in future chapters. So, thank you again!
> 
> And now, I'm excited to bring you Chapter 18 of SS! Please enjoy!

While Kagome slept, Inuyasha got to work.

First, he cleaned up the washitsu, wiping down the walls and the tatami. He grimaced; the tatami was technically clean, but he could still detect the scent of ramen wafting from it. Buyo was pawing at it, trying to get to the source of the smell. Inuyasha’s grimace became a scowl; he was going to make the fucking wolf pay to replace the tatami.

Or, he could just ask Kagome to come live with him.

He was shocked at himself: that thought wasn’t disagreeable.

He quickly put it out of his mind to focus on the next task: calling Sango.

“ _It’s your day off, Matsushita_ ,” she said impatiently. “ _Spend some time with Kagome and turn off your phone_.”

“Higurashi is sleeping,” he replied. He dropped his voice. “She told Kouga. He came here and found us together. I might have told him I spent the night.”

He was really fucking glad she was on speaker and his phone was on the chabudai because he couldn’t have handled her shout of laughter from anywhere closer. “ _Matsushita, you dog_!”

“Watch it, Murasaki,” Inuyasha growled. He straightened up. “What can you tell me about the latest miko victim?”

“ _It’s the Nagano miko_ ,” answered Sango. “ _Junoichi Mai. 67 years old, and owner of the Junoichi Shrine. They had to use dental records to identify her, too._ ”

“Do you need Higurashi to come down and check the reiki?”

“ _I’ll come get her,_ ” Sango said. “ _You gave me a full day off yesterday—_ ”

“—until the White Wolf,” Inuyasha added.

“ _—and I will be damned if I won’t do the same for you._ ”

“She’s sleeping right now, Murasaki,” Inuyasha reminded her. “How about in an hour or so? I’d like to let her sleep for a bit longer.” He paused. “She didn’t go back to bed after I left last night. And the wolf…might not have taken the news too well. She was pretty shaken up.”

He could practically hear Sango nodding through the phone. “ _That’s not unexpected. You know how he feels about her.”_

He most certainly fucking did.

“ _You need me to have her back before sunset, right_?”

Inuyasha hesitated. “Yeah. If you can.”

Because that was another thing they needed to discuss.

“ _I’ll be there at three and have her back by five. You can make us dinner. Does she have whiskey in the house_?”

“What the fuck, Murasaki?”

“ _She’s gonna need it when she sees you tonight_.”

That…wasn’t untrue.

“Hey, Murasaki?”

“ _Yeah, Matsushita?_ ”

“What…happens next?”

“ _With Kagome_?”

He couldn’t believe he was talking to his partner about this.

“Yeah,” he said. “With Higurashi.”

Sango laughed loudly again. “ _Be with her. Enjoy her. Love her. Marry her. And don’t youkai mate or something_?”

Wait. What?

“What are you talking about, Sango?”

“ _Your brother is mated, not married, isn’t that right?_ ”

He had no idea. “I…guess?”

“ _You should find out about inu youkai rituals for mating and marriage, or whatever the youkai version of marriage is. And Kagome needs to find out about miko rituals, too. Houshi rituals might be different, so I can’t speak to all spiritual rituals for marriage with confidence._ ”

“Duly noted.”

“ _Now go take a short nap with your lovely soulmate_ ,” Sango instructed. “ _See you soon_.”

Of course, Inuyasha didn’t take Sango’s advice. He got his bag, popped open his laptop, and started reading whatever he could find about inu youkai and miko marriage rituals. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much online. He had figured as much. Inu youkai were exceptionally rare, and all the spiritual Web sites were mysteriously reticent about spiritual weddings. He would have to talk with her brother after all, dammit.

Hesitantly, he dialed Sesshomaru’s number.

“ _Speak,”_ came his brother’s quiet, yet deadly, voice over the phone.

“It’s me,” Inuyasha said.

There was a pause. “ _What can this one do for you now, little brother_?” came the annoyed reply.

“I need to see you. Can I come to the office tomorrow?”

Sesshomaru sighed. “ _That is acceptable. This Sesshomaru has something to discuss with you, as well._ ”

“Great,” Inuyasha said impatiently. He hadn’t spoken to his brother by phone in close to fifty years. He wanted to keep this short and sweet. He opened his calendar app and looked to see what his schedule was like. “Tomorrow at 10?”

“ _This one has a meeting then. 11:00, and the staff will be aware of your impending arrival._ ”

“Fine, you bastard,” Inuyasha growled, adding the meeting to his calendar.

“ _Always a pleasure, Inuyasha_.” Sesshomaru disconnected the call, Inuyasha scowling.

He got up and paced the length of the washitsu. He had never been good at taking a day off from work; his mind often became fixated on cases and he couldn’t let go. Normally, he’d head to the gym and take out his frustrations on a bag, but he didn’t want to leave Kagome while she slept. Not after what had happened with Kouga. Instead, he dropped to the floor and began to do push-ups; first on both hands, then on his knuckles, then one knuckle, then the other. Buyo sat on his haunches and watched Inuyasha, fascinated. Inuyasha ignored the cat and counted: twenty, forty, sixty, eighty, one hundred. His hair hung around his face; the sweat started to drip off his forehead and onto the tatami. But he kept going. He had a lot to work through in his head.

When he hit two hundred push-ups, he finally stopped. Inuyasha pulled himself to a seated position, breathing heavily, and leaned back against the sofa. He had some things worked out; things that he couldn’t take care of today, but he had ideas. And that was a start.

He dashed off one text before he went into to snuggle for a bit with Kagome:

_Do you have time to meet tomorrow afternoon? We need to talk about Higurashi Kagome. 1:00 lunch. Fukugawa. I’m buying._

He tossed his phone on the sofa and went into the bedroom. Kagome lay in the bed, snoring lightly, her face scrunched up as though she were dreaming. He swiftly undressed and crawled under the covers beside her, drawing her close. Sensing he was there, Kagome turned to face him and buried her face in his chest, sighing lightly. He rested his chin on top of her head, wondering how in the hell he’d gotten so lucky, and how in the hell he was going to keep her alive and safe.

* * *

“Where’s your pitbull today, Higurashi?” Hojo asked with a wry grin. He had met Kagome and Sango at the elevator and was walking them down to the medical examiner’s office, where he had yet another body waiting for Kagome to review.

Kagome grimaced. “Don’t call him that, Hojo,” she softly replied, her the fire in her eyes contrasting with the tone of her voice. Sango smirked. She’d been given a digest version of the past eighteen or so hours, and couldn’t wait to get the full story.

Hojo shrugged, his grin becoming a slight scowl. “Sure, whatever.” He led them to the exam room. “Here we are,” he said, opening the door.

Kagome steeled herself for yet another drained body. And sure enough, as Hojo removed the plastic cover, she found herself face-to-face with yet another shrunken miko. She looked expectantly at Sango as she carefully examined the body.

“Did Matsushita give you any info?” Sango asked her. Kagome shook her head. Sango sighed and took out her notes. “Her name was Junoichi Mai. She was 67 years old, and owned the Junoichi Shrine. They had to use dental records to identify her, too.”

“I see,” Kagome murmured, her heart caught in her throat. “I told Inuyasha, and I need to tell you, too. Sango, I know her.”

“You—you what?” Sango asked, surprised.

“Not that we were super-close, but I know—I _knew_ her,” Kagome said, tears forming in her eyes. “Junoichi-san was one of my teachers at Kyoto University when I was a student. I’d heard that she retired to Nagano to be near her family and take over the shrine from her mother, but I hadn’t realized…” She paused and took a deep breath. “Her specialty was herbs, like Kaede. She and Kaede were good friends. I only found out yesterday that she was one of the missing…I haven’t told Kaede yet.” Kagome took a deep breath. “I had her for one class. We weren’t close, but she still…” Kagome shuddered. Sango pressed a hand to Kagome’s arm.

“I’m sorry, Higurashi,” Hojo said sympathetically. “But, can you please…?” he gestured to the body and left the rest unsaid.

Kagome nodded and held her hands out over Junoichi’s body. “I’m so sorry, Junoichi-sensei,” she whispered. “Please let me help you find some peace.” She moved her hands over Junoichi’s body, eyes closed, listening, feeling, waiting to get some sense of reiki.

As she lowered her hands, a bright green light burst out from Junoichi’s body and struck Kagome’s hands. She screamed and clutched her hands to her chest, spiraling backwards. Sango rushed forward and caught Kagome in her arms. “Kagome!” Sango cried. “What happened?” Hojo looked on, concerned.

Kagome’s breaths were heavy and deep. She closed her eyes, then opened them. Sango could see they were laced with fear.

“That’s—that’s not her aura,” Kagome whispered. “That’s not Junoichi-sensei’s aura.”

“Then what is it?” Sango asked softly.

“I’m not sure,” Kagome said slowly. “Something—something dark. Like jyaki. Evil.” She made to stand on her own; Sango tightened her grip on her friend. “I’m okay, Sango,” Kagome said. “Really.” She turned attention back to the body of her former teacher, and approached it again, slowly.

“Higurashi,” said Hojo awkwardly, “are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“I’ll be okay,” she reassured him. She paused, knitting her brows together in concern, then smirked. “I think.”

“Kagome,” Sango said hoarsely, “Matsushita will literally kill me if I let you get hurt. Like, I’ll be up here on one of these gurneys, and Hojo won’t even have to cut me open to know what happened.”

Kagome laughed a little. “I promise, it’ll be fine,” she said. “I have an idea.” Her face hardened. “I need to know what’s happening to these women. What if this is a clue? Something left behind by accident?” Her eyes grew misty. “If I could have done something to help these women, and didn’t because I was too scared, I’d never forgive myself.”

Sango looked stricken, but let Kagome go. She cast a glance at Hojo, and they shared an unspoken agreement: first sign of trouble, whoever was closest, _grab her_.

Kagome approached her former teacher slowly. “Junoichi-sensei,” she whispered, “I am so sorry for whatever was done to you. I am so sorry for your suffering. I am so sorry that even now, your soul cannot find peace.” She held out her hands; they were trembling. “I hope that you can forgive me for what I am about to do, and that you can show me the best way to help you now.” She inhaled deeply, held her breath for a solid eight counts, then exhaled slowly, her hands lighting up with her reiki. She carefully laid them on Junoichi’s arm, and the green light crackled around her again, causing her own magenta reiki to flare up in a massive flourish, overwhelming the green and attempting to subdue it.

Sango and Hojo watched, fascinated, as Kagome’s powers did battle with whatever was left behind in Junoichi’s body. Green sparked madly against magenta, but through it all, Kagome’s face remained calm, at ease, and thoughtful; her eyes were closed. Sango could tell she was trying to peer into the depths of Junoichi’s soul, or whatever was left behind. She could see sweat beading on Kagome’s forehead; Sango steeled herself, ready to go in and grab her friend in a heartbeat.

Instead, the green energy shooting from Junoichi’s body began to settle down, and Kagome’s reiki blanketed the body, warm and comforting. Tears streamed down Kagome’s cheeks as she soothingly brought Junoichi’s body to a sense of peace and calm; Sango felt tears pricking her own eyes. When at last Kagome’s reiki had settled, she turned to her friend, her eyes wide.

“Sango,” she said in a shocked tone, “you are not going to _believe_ what I just learned.”

And her eyes rolled back into her head. Hojo was closest and caught her just before she hit the floor, unconscious.

* * *

“I _told_ you,” Sango was saying to someone, her voice full of anger and emotion, “she _insisted_. You know how she gets. I couldn’t have stopped her if I tried.”

“Fucking hell, Murasaki!” It was Inuyasha. “You know how I feel about...” He grunted. “I can’t fucking lose her!”

“I _know_ ,” Sango hissed. “But you also can’t keep her locked up in a cage. She’s going to hate you if you do.”

Bleary-eyed, Kagome saw a shadowy Inuyasha raise a finger to Sango, then hook it in her direction. He turned to look at her, relief flooding his face.

“You’re awake,” he said to her.

“Inuyasha,” she whispered, closing her eyes again.

Inuyasha was at her side in an instant, clasping her hand to his chest.

“I’m okay,” she breathed. “I just need a minute.”

“What the fuck, Higurashi,” he said, the words harsher than his tone. “You have _got_ to be more careful! Your reiki takes a fucking lot out of you. That’s twice today you overdid it.”

Kagome rolled her head from side to side, and opened her eyes fully this time.

And she screamed: a full-throated, desperate, hysterical scream.

Because the man looking at her, so worriedly, was definitely _not_ Inuyasha.

Oh, he was tall, all right, and handsome; but where Inuyasha had fiery golden eyes, this man’s eyes were pools of dark violet. And where Inuyasha had beautiful silver hair, this man had long, flowing, black hair.

But most importantly were the ears. Or rather, the placement of the ears.

Instead of two adorably fuzzy triangle puppy dog ears, this man had normal human ears.

This man was a _human_.

“Who—who—who the _fuck_ are you?” she cried. “And where the _fuck_ is Inuyasha?”

The man chuckled. “Fucking hell, Higurashi, it’s me,” he replied, Inuyasha’s gruff voice coming from a man who was clearly _not_ him.

Kagome tried to sit up, but her head was so fucking woozy. She must have _really_ overdone it.

“Hold on, koishii,” he said gently, bending forward to scoop his arm under her shoulders. He tugged her to a seated position, allowing her wide blue-gray eyes to take him all in as she turned in his arms.

“I turn human. Once a month,” he said apologetically. “I always make sure it coincides with my day off. I try to stick close to home that day.” He frowned. “Sundown to sunup, anyway.”

Kagome just stared at him, her eyes focusing and unfocusing.

“Murasaki,” barked Inuyasha, “she needs water.”

Sango rushed into the kitchen and got a glass of water from the filter in the refrigerator. She brought it into the washitshu, where Kagome was seated on the sofa, leaning against Inuyasha.

“Here, Kagome-chan,” Sango said, “drink this.”

Kagome took the glass with trembling hands, and gulped the water down. She handed Sango the empty glass, then looked from her best friend to her soulmate, her eyes still blinking, but more focused than they were.

“What’s—what’s going on?” she said weakly. She picked up Inuyasha’s hand and turned it over in her own, pressing the tips of his fingers. “No claws,” she breathed.

He chuckled again. “Like I said, Higurashi,” he replied, “human. For one night only. In the winter it’s worse, because there are more hours without sunlight.”

Kagome, now fully conscious and alert, took him in completely. She ran her fingers through his hair, secretly lamenting the lack of cute ears to rub. Her hands moved down the outline of his face, tweaking his human ears gently, then cupped his face, running her thumbs along the seam of his mouth. He bared his teeth for her. “No fangs,” he said.

“Incredible,” whispered Kagome. She leaned forward and kissed him, softly. The resultant electric flow made them both jump. “It _is_ you,” she sighed, pulling away and gazing deeply into his now-violet eyes.

“That _is_ what I have been saying, yes,” he replied, grinning at her. He usually hated his human night, but her adorable confusion _almost_ made it worth the change. Almost.

“Kagome-chan,” said Sango, sitting on the other side of her friend, “how are you feeling?”

“Better,” Kagome replied, still holding onto Inuyasha. “But hungry.”

“Good,” Inuyasha said, leaning her against the back of the sofa and standing up. “I made dinner.”

“You—cooked?” squeaked Kagome. “Here?”

“Murasaki asked me to,” he answered easily, going into the kitchen. “So while you two were gone, I went shopping. There’s a grocery store not far from here, you know.”

Kagome pouted. “I know,” she replied sulkily. “I have actually been there before.”

“To buy something other than cat food?” he teased her. “Because I found a ton of that, but not much else, in your cabinets.”

“I do occasionally get stuff for myself, you know,” she huffed.

“Oh yeah,” Inuyasha commented to Sango, “she’s feeling better.”

Inuyasha hustled around in the kitchen for several minutes, then came into the washitsu holding a tray. He placed it on the chabudai, and Kagome and Sango leaned over, gasping in astonishment.

“Holy hells, Matsushita,” breathed Sango, “I saw the pots on the cooktop, but did you actually make all this?”

“I had to keep myself occupied,” he replied with a wide grin. “You two were gone a long fucking time.”

Kagome stared openly at the meal. It was a beautiful hot soba soup, topped with red kamaboko, yaki mochi, green onion, and agemata tempura flakes. “It looks wonderful,” she murmured, amazed. Kagome looked up at Inuyasha, and he returned her gaze, his deep violet eyes almost black with desire. She shivered.

“Eat, Higurashi,” Inuyasha said. “And then, Murasaki and I want you to tell us what happened.”

Kagome nodded, and transferred herself to the floor. She knelt at the chabudai and accepted a bowl of soup, along with a spoon and chopsticks. Inuyasha placed out two more bowls, and he and Sango settled themselves at the chabudai. “Itadakimasu,” they chorused, and dug in.

Kagome took some soba in her chopsticks, and bit into the noodles. Her eyes grew wide. “Inuyasha,” she said. “This is the most perfect soba I think I’ve ever had. The noodles have the perfect bite to them. I could eat a whole pound of these!”

He flushed a little with the compliment. “Thanks,” he said.

They ate for several minutes in silence, Kagome and Sango relishing the deliciousness of the meal. “I wish Miroku cooked like this,” Sango commented at one point. “Are all spiritualists terrible cooks?”

“Kaede isn’t,” Kagome replied. “And I can bake a mean cake.”

Inuyasha blinked at her in surprise, but Sango nodded. “That’s right!” she exclaimed. “I had forgotten. Your cakes are amazing. How come you don’t bake much anymore?”

Kagome shrugged. “Once I left the shrine, what was the reason?” she said. “I can’t really bake for myself.”

Inuyasha’s mind reeled. This woman, who had literally nothing in her cabinets or refrigerator, was an accomplished baker?

Kagome laughed. “Don’t look so surprised, Inuyasha,” she teased. “I’ll make you a special cake for your birthday. When is it?”

“De—December 11,” he said disbelievingly.

“Noted,” she replied. “We’ll talk about flavors once it gets closer.” She leaned over and kissed him. “I promise not to poison you,” she added lightly.

“Oh my gosh, remember the cake you made when Miroku and I got married?” Sango exclaimed. “That was like, the best cake ever. I’ll never understand how you got that layer of salted caramel to lay so perfectly in the ganache.”

Kagome blushed. “It was nothing,” she said. Inuyasha still continued to stare at her; his heart was making a strange thumping sound, as though it were beating out of rhythm.

Who _was_ this woman? Exactly how many layers did she have to her?

They continued to eat in amiable silence, slurping the soup and enjoying the delicate yaki mochi and kamaboko. When Kagome had at last eaten enough, she rested back against the sofa and rubbed her belly. Inuyasha was ecstatic to see color back in her cheeks.

“Now,” she said, pushing her bowl away from the edge of the chabudai, “are you ready to know what I saw in the ME’s office?”

Sango and Inuyasha looked at each other. “If you’re ready to tell us, Kagome-chan,” Sango replied.

Kagome took a deep breath and closed her eyes, recalling those moments from her memory. She flinched slightly at the memory of the incident, but she steeled herself, thinking of what Junoichi-sensei had sacrificed to get the information to her.

“Okay,” she breathed. “Here’s what I saw.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did Kagome see in her vision? Who did Inuyasha text? How will Inuyasha and Kagome spend his human night (hint hint!)? As always, thanks so much for reading, and I will see you all at the next update! <3


	19. Declarations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome tells Sango and Inuyasha what she saw, and they discuss new possible leads in the case. Kagome wants to thank Inuyasha properly for making dinner. Inuyasha has a moment (and ALL the feelings).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello, everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you're safe and well.
> 
> Thanks so much for all the comments and discussion on the last chapter! I've been thinking a lot about our current situation (globally, but especially here in the U.S.), and how much we've lost, but coming here and seeing all of you...I'm just so grateful we're all here together. 
> 
> I am super excited to bring you the next chapter of Spirited Soulmates! It's gonna get steamy, so consider yourselves warned ^_^ (mind the tags). Please enjoy!

_Cold. She was so, so cold. And so, so pissed off._

_Junoichi Mai was too old for this shit. She had just retired to Nagano, to take over the family shrine and to help train her great-niece and nephew in the spiritual ways. Neither of them were particularly strong spiritualists, but under Mai’s guidance, they would be able to sufficiently complete the duties required of them as a shrine miko and monk. Mai saw herself running the shrine for four or five years, turning it over to her family, and then moving to a small cabin somewhere, far from civilization, where she had to drive several miles to get groceries. Her entire life—however many years she had left—was meticulously planned out, and she had been excited to execute her plan._

_Then, she went and got herself kidnapped._

_She had to admit that it was entirely her own fault. She was closing up the shrine when she thought that she heard voices. She investigated by the haiden, but had found nothing. She was so focused on locating the voices that she never noticed the person who came up behind her and chloroformed her. A rookie mistake. She wasn’t even able to put up a fight. She knew, though, that her kidnapper had to be human; if they had been any part youkai, she definitely would have sensed_ that _._

_When she’d awoken, she was stripped naked and strapped to a cold metal table. She’d tried to scream, but something was stuffed in her mouth to keep her from making anything more than a strangled grunt. She found that she was able to move her head, and turned it slowly from side to side. Mai saw that she was not alone._

_In fact, she could see at least two other tables in the room, with bodies strapped to them. They looked to be women, and they were also nude. The women twitched, as though their muscles hadn’t been used in quite a while. They were eerily silent. Mai wondered where in all the hells she was, and what in all the hells was going on._

_The door to the room creaked open, and heavy footsteps drew her attention. A tall, handsome man approached her. He wore a white lab coat; his long hair hung down his back in a thick braid. He wore dark-rimmed glasses, which almost hid his sparkling blue eyes._

_“Well, well,” he said clearly, “look who’s awake?”_

_She tried to scream at him, but could only gurgle._

_He laughed. “You can make all the noise you want,” he said. “No one will hear you here.” And he pressed something to her face that made her lose consciousness again._

_When she awoke this time, she was laying on another metal table, in a large tube. It reminded her of the MRI machine she’d once been in when she’d had a herniated disk in her back. It was the only way the doctors could do a proper diagnosis. As she struggled into consciousness, she noted searing pains in her arm and in her chest, just below her collarbone. She immediately began to struggle against her bonds._

_“Please hold still, Junoichi-sama,” came a deep voice over a loudspeaker that seemed to be pumped directly into the tube. “You don’t want me to have to repeat this examination.”_

_Mai continued to struggle, chafing against her bonds. She tried to let loose some of her power, but it seemed to go directly into the bonds securing her wrists to the table._

_The deep voice sighed. “Last warning, Junoichi-sama,” it said in a dark, exasperated, tone. “Please. Don’t make me have to repeat this.”_

_The darkness in the voice gave Mai pause. What was happening, exactly?_

_Then, the tube filled with light, and something shot into her chest, exactly where the pain was, below her collarbone. She tried to scream, but had no voice. She felt she was drowning, drowning…her power was being drawn up and out, beyond her control, and it was being replaced by something deeper, darker...something evil._

_Mai resisted. Oh, gods, how she resisted. She tried to call her power to her, but it was being channeled through something, something that was rendering a searing pain through her body, originating in that spot on her chest and radiating through her nerves. Mai fought desperately against the impending darkness, but it was swallowing her._

_As a last resort, Mai pulled everything she had in her and pooled it into one tiny spark. One teeny, tiny, spark of reiki. That was all she could muster that was really, solely, hers. All she had left from years of developing her power._

_One spark._

_As she descended into darkness, Mai left that one piece behind, in hopes that someone would find it—that someone would see it, and realize what was happening._

_In her last seconds, Mai prayed to the gods for peace, and that the bastards who had done this to her would be caught._

* * *

Inuyasha and Sango sat, stunned, as Kagome finished revealing what she had seen.

“Wow, Kagome-chan,” Sango breathed. “You got all that from one spark of reiki?”

Kagome nodded. “The green _was_ jyaki, I think. I think it was clinging to Junoichi-sensei’s reiki as a last-ditch effort to subdue the reiki that was left.”

“But it didn’t work,” Sango replied.

“It didn’t,” agreed Kagome.

“No one was anticipating that you would come along, Higurashi,” said Inuyasha roughly. He closed his eyes. _Fuck!_ He wished with all his heart he had been able to be there for her, to give her strength. His youki would have supported her, and maybe kept her from fainting. He mustered up the best growl that he could, given that he was currently human.

Kagome turned to him, smiling gently. “It’s okay,” she reassured him, taking one of his hands in both of hers. “I’m okay. _We’re_ okay.”

“Fuck, Higurashi,” Inuyasha burst out, pulling her to him so fiercely she bumped against the chabudai, “what if that jyaki had latched onto you? What if it had hurt you in some way?”

“Inuyasha,” Kagome said into his chest, “I’m really okay.” She grimaced. “I’ll admit, it didn’t feel great in the moment, but I got through it. And now we have a better idea of what’s happening.”

“You’re goddamn right that we do,” he rumbled. He looked up at Sango. “I think we need to review the list of items that were stolen,” he said to her.

“Why?” asked Sango, startled by the request.

“Because,” Inuyasha replied, “I am pretty sure that there’s a connection between those robberies and the missing mikos.” He turned to Kagome. “Junoichi-san was in a tube, right?” Kagome nodded. Inuyasha frowned. “Then whoever is stealing those items built some kind of a tube to do what? Extract reiki?” He pulled away from Kagome for a moment and yanked on his own hair. “But _why_?” None of this was making any sense.

“Higurashi,” he said slowly, turning Kagome so he was looking her dead in the eyes, “how much do you know about the politicking surrounding the Human-Youkai Treaty?”

Kagome looked confused. “Politicking?”

“Do you remember my bastard half-brother talking about a man named Tsuji Onigumo?” Inuyasha asked her. Sango looked at him, eyes wide.

“Matsushita…” Sango began, but Inuyasha held up his hand to stop her.

Kagome looked thoughtful for a moment. “I do,” she said, “and his name seemed really familiar when Matsushita-sama brought him up. But I don’t recall him being at the talks.”

“According to my brother, he wasn’t _allowed_ at the talks, remember?” Inuyasha replied. “But Sess said that Tsuji is of the firm belief that spiritualists were given too much power by the treaty.”

Kagome nodded, following his point of view. “So you think that he’s doing something to actively get rid of mikos?” she asked.

“Maybe.” Inuyasha wasn’t completely sure of his theory at this point. But something had smelled off about that guy the day he and Sango questioned him. He just _had_ to be connected to all this.

“But if he’s involved, why report a robbery at his own facility?” Sango queried.

“To throw us off the scent, so to speak,” answered Inuyasha. “If he’s a victim, he can’t also be the suspect.”

“And if he’s against the treaty, it makes sense why he’d try and throw the trail onto Kouga,” added Kagome, feeling a twinge in her heart at the thought of him. She would really have to try and make things right tomorrow. “Kouga worked really hard on making the treaty fair and equitable. He wanted what was best for everyone, no matter what your brother thinks.” She remembered Sesshomaru’s insinuations _very_ clearly. And knew he might have been right.

“I’m going to see my brother tomorrow,” Inuyasha said. “Higurashi, you need to cancel your morning classes. You can either come with me to see Sess or go to the station with Sango.”

“Like hell I will,” she retorted. “I can—”

“—take care of yourself, I know,” he sighed.

Sango rose, clearly unwilling to engage in any ensuing argument. “This is my cue,” she said. “I’ve got to get home to Miroku and the girls, anyway. I promised him I’d come back right after Kagome-chan and I were finished at headquarters.” She looked at Kagome. “Call me if you need _anything_ , okay?”

Kagome nodded. “I will; I promise. Thank you, Sango-chan.”

Sango waved as she retrieved her shoes from the genkan. “See you tomorrow, Matsushita, Kagome-chan.” Inuyasha got up and made sure the door was locked after her.

“I’m sorry that I am such a burden, Inuyasha,” Kagome sighed as he rejoined her at the chabudai. Inuyasha looked her over carefully; her blue-gray eyes were listless, and her skin had taken on a sallow tint again.

“You just need rest, Higurashi,” Inuyasha said, “that’s all.” He watched her as she yawned and leaned against his shoulder.

“I don’t suppose there’s any chance I can get a repeat from this morning, is there?” she asked quietly. “I would kind of like to be close to you tonight.”

“Even though I’m just a stupid human?” Inuyasha replied, unable to hide the disgust in his voice.

“I don’t care what form you’re in,” she sighed, reaching up to softly capture his lips, “I just want _you_.”

Inuyasha sighed and crushed her to his chest. The love that washed up from the deepest parts of his soul filled him with a sense of peace. But even as a human, he could sense her absolute exhaustion. He buried his face in her hair and rested there for a moment, enjoying the feel of her in his arms, and desperately trying to catch her scent. It was barely there, but still he clung to it, hungry for anything that reminded him that his youkai sensibilities were just beneath the surface, waiting for the sun to rise. Kagome fiddled her hands so that they carefully worked their way under his shirt; he hissed as her fingertips pressed into his abs, then slid up to his chest.

“Please,” she said, “let’s go to bed.”

“Go get ready,” he barely rasped. “I’ll clean up.”

“Your dinner was amazing,” she whispered. “Let me say thank you properly.”

Inuyasha laughed softly; he couldn’t help it. “For someone who never had sex until this morning, you’re sure anxious for more.”

She giggled. “Only with you, Inuyasha.”

For at least the second time that day, his heart started beating out of rhythm. He pushed her gently to her feet, then began to straighten up the chabudai. She watched him for a moment, then stretched her limbs out slowly.

“I’m going to get washed up,” she said lightly, giving him a meaningful look. He swiftly piled the soba bowls on the tray, and practically ran into the kitchen. Kagome smiled.

There were so, so, many things she wanted to try.

* * *

Kagome sincerely wished that she had rented an apartment with a larger bathtub. Her tub was deep, but not very long, as was typical of the unit baths in more modern apartment buildings. She was grateful to at least have a mirror and nice shower nozzle for rinsing off; the water pressure was excellent, and would feel divine on her skin. It had, after all, been insanely long, insanely busy day.

As Kagome stripped down, she deposited her clothing on the washing machine outside the bath, next to her bathroom sink. She grabbed a towel from under the sink, hesitated, and grabbed a second one. She hung them on the towel warmer she kept in the bath for easy access; she liked warm towels to dry herself off with, even in the summer. She went into the bath and stepped into the tub, then leaned over and got the shower nozzle. It wasn’t exactly polite to shower in the tub, but she did it if she wanted to wash her hair. It kept all the strands that came out together, making it easier to clean up. And she always rinsed the tub down afterwards, anyway.

Kagome turned on the faucet, made sure the temperature was sufficiently warm, then proceeded to spray herself down, giving her body a quick wash and rinse. She leaned forward and rinsed her hair out thoroughly, then reached blindly for her shampoo.

“Why don’t you let me help you?” a familiar gruff voice said. Kagome reached out a little higher.

“Inuyasha?” she asked tentatively. Silence. “Please don’t tease me. I’ve got a head full of water and I can’t see anything.”

She heard an earthy chuckle, and warm hands reached out to clasp her own. “Okay, okay,” he said. “No jokes. And I will really wash your hair.”

“You’d do that?” she breathed. She felt him take the shower nozzle from her, and he gently rinsed her hair again. Kagome shivered at the feel of his fingers working their way through her hair, then let out a little whine when he pulled back.

“Hold on,” he said, amusement clear in his voice. She wished to all the gods she had rinsed her hair normally, and not flipped her hair forward, so she could see what he was doing. She heard him pop open the shampoo bottle, then set it down on the side of the bathtub. She hissed as his fingers slowly massaged her scalp, working the shampoo into every inch of her hair. She sighed into his touch.

“You’re really good at this,” she moaned softly.

“I do have longer hair than you,” he pointed out. “I do this about twice a week.”

“You only wash your hair twice a week?” she asked, jealousy seeping into her tone. If she didn’t wash her hair every other day, it got greasy.

“Twice a week is even pushing it,” he replied. “Youkai hair, remember? It stays pretty clean on its own.”

She knew. It also smelled _amazing_. Was that his natural scent? Oh, _gods_. She felt an overwhelming urge to bury her face in the strands of his long, silky, soft, hair. Black or silver—she didn’t care which.

Kagome heard him turn the shower nozzle back on, and obediently let him rinse the suds from her hair. He went over it carefully, making sure to remove all the shampoo. He took all of her hair in one hand, her chin in the other, and gently tilted her back, until her head was right-side up again.

It was then she remembered: she was in the bathtub, and she was naked.

Kagome squeaked, and made to cover herself. Inuyasha reached out with his hands to stop her.

“Don’t, Higurashi,” he said in that brusque tone that chafed against her soul. “You’re beautiful.”

And then she noticed that he was fully nude, as well. She wanted to be embarrassed and look away, but holy gods, was he gorgeous. Even as a human.

Kagome had seen him naked earlier that day when they had…consummated…their soulmate-ship, but then she’d been so hot for him in the moment that she hadn’t really thought anything through. But here, with her faculties fully intact, she saw all of him, and her body began launching into a series of conflicting emotions. She wanted to hide her eyes; she wanted to drink him in fully. She ended up doing both. She closed her eyes and pulled him closer, so he had to step over the side of the tub. Once she felt him firmly beside her, she began to run her hands over his body, feeling every sinew, every dip, every taut muscle, tense and responsive to her touch, even as he continued to gently rinse her hair.

“Open your eyes, Higurashi,” he whispered, somewhere close to her right ear.

She shook her head. “I want to just feel you,” she breathed. “Rely on my other senses for now. Experience your body; feel you as my skin connects with yours.”

“Kagome,” he panted, and turned the water on the rest of her body.

Although her eyes were still closed, Inuyasha could not stop staring at her. He had the shower nozzle aimed at her chest, and he watched, breathless, as the water dropped down her collarbone and followed the path of her sternum, dripping between her breasts in tiny rivulets. He wanted more than anything to taste her; of all his dulled senses, taste was most likely the one that remained the strongest. He watched her closely; her face was tense with anticipation, her breath coming in short gasps.

 _Fuck it_ , he thought, and leaned forward. He pressed the flat of his tongue in the space just below her chest, then ran it up her diaphragm to her sternum, brushing against the sides of her breasts. She gasped, and he buried his face there, sucking gently on the delicate skin, reveling in the feel and taste of her skin mingling with the water and her body wash. He suddenly felt as though he couldn’t get close enough to her, that she was slipping away from him. Inuyasha knew it was those ridiculous human emotions, coupled with the absence of sensory detail, but he still felt a lack of her, intensely, in his heart.

Kagome opened her blue-gray eyes and lowered them to meet his dark violet ones. “Inuyasha,” she breathed; she grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him to her, crushing her lips to his. Inuyasha moaned loudly at the contact, and she used that chance to drive her tongue into his mouth. Her breasts pressed against his chest, and he wanted to moan again, because _fuck_ , she felt so fucking good against him, he was about to come undone right then and there. Instead he grabbed her ass and squeezed, hard; her fleshy bits were so soft, and so perfect. He imagined running his cock between her cheeks and he had to shove his tongue further into her mouth to keep himself from unloading all over the bathtub. His hands roamed relentlessly over her body, coming to rest at her waist.

“I wanna take you here,” he whispered harshly in her ear. She visibly quaked in response.

“How—how can you do that?” she asked tentatively. He chuckled and turned her around, living out his fantasy and pressing his cock into her ass.

“Like this,” he hissed. She gulped, but relaxed, resting her hands against the wall of the tub. He adjusted her so that she was slightly bent over, and brought one hand around to massage her breasts, while the other tucked itself into her soft folds and tweaked her clit sharply. She keened loudly, her knees buckling under his touch. She was astonished at how quickly he brought her to completion; within seconds of him beginning to massage her bundle of nerves, her juices were running down her legs and dripping onto the tub floor.

And yet, it was not enough.

“Higurashi,” he whispered. “I need you.”

“Inuyasha,” she whispered back. “I need you too.”

He positioned his cock to enter her. “There’s no time,” he said roughly. “If I promise—”

“It’s okay,” she said. “I trust you. I trust you.”

“I think I love you,” he breathed.

_What?_

And he buried himself inside her.

Kagome moaned loudly and clenched her hands against the smooth wall of her bathtub. Gods, from this angle, she felt like she might die from the sensations rippling through her body. If it was possible, he felt bigger than he’d felt that morning, and he was hitting something deep inside her that was sending jolts from her core through to every part of her body. “ _Inuyasha,_ ” she cried out wantonly, not caring how desperate or thoroughly fucked she sounded.

Inuyasha, meanwhile, was having a moment. Feeling her bottom pressed against his hips was so fucking glorious. He hadn’t realized how obsessed he was with her ass, and maybe it was his human emotions at play, but yet, here they were; he was balls deep in her and grabbing fistfuls of her ass like it was air. Because it was, and he’d been slowly drowning his entire life, before he met her—before her body gave him breath, gave him life.

Slowly, he ran his fingers over the twin globes, listening to her soft cries and begs for him to get it over with and fuck her already. He pulled out of her slightly, then thrust back in; she keened and rested her head against the tub wall, breathing heavily. Inuyasha repeated the motion, reveling in the feel of her walls against his cock, and the way that she sighed and gasped and carried on as he massaged her cheeks and moved languidly in her. Because tonight, he felt an overwhelming need to just enjoy her, and to love her.

Kagome, however, ground back against him, apparently desperate for him to take her roughly. She wanted more than anything to feel him slam into her, but he was being purposefully evil and slow. Kagome heard him chuckle, and felt him slap her ass softly. He leaned forward, his breath tickling her ear. “Can’t I just want to feel you all around me?” he whispered. Kagome thrust her hips roughly back against him.

“No,” she pouted. “No more teasing. Take me now, or not at all.”

Oh, a challenge, eh?

Inuyasha massaged her ass once more, then positioned his hands on her hips, rejoicing in the softness of her skin there. She bent over a little bit more, and he quaked as he was able to delve deeper into her core. Fuck, she felt so fucking amazing without a condom. He had to hold onto himself enough to know to pull out. He had to stay calm.

But it was really, really, fucking hard.

He pulled back from her slightly, then rammed into her, as forcefully as he could; even with her hands stabilizing her against the wall, she still was thrust forward with the movement. She let out a strangled cry as he began to pummel her in earnest, his cock pounding away ceaselessly. His grunts matched her keening cries; he gripped her hips more tightly to keep her close.

For her part, Kagome held her arms nearly stiff against the tub wall, keeping her steady against his driving thrusts. It was all she could do to keep her eyes from rolling back in her head; had his cock felt this massive before? Had she felt this needy for him before? She didn’t know what the answer was—she only knew that her body was crying out for release, and every time he reached deep inside her, she got that much closer. Her walls were beginning to seize up, and she took deep, gasping breaths in an attempt to prolong the experience.

“Inuyasha,” she moaned, “I’m _so_ close.”

Inuyasha yanked her to him and rested his head on her shoulder, his movements inside her becoming slow, forceful, deliberate. “Then do it, Higurashi,” he grunted in her ear, giving it a little lick. “Come for me. Now.”

Her body stiffened as he ground into her and nibbled her earlobe, her elbows locking her in place. She felt her core tense impossibly hard, then she let out a wailing cry that included his name and a variety of unintelligible words as she came undone around him. Inuyasha felt her juices spill over him, and he thrust once, twice, three times in response, then pulled out of her and rested his cock between her succulent cheeks, pumping himself as he released a jet across her ass.

And fuck, if that wasn’t the fucking hottest thing he’d ever done. If he wasn’t human, he’d probably still be hard and be able to go at least one more round immediately. Why was her ass so insane?

Inuyasha took a moment and rubbed his cock against her, coating her fully in his cum and his scent. He was human at the moment, but fuck, he still knew the importance of marking her in that way. He let out several noisy breaths and brought his right hand up to rest beside hers on the tub wall, his cock once again resting between her cheeks. His other hand circled her waist and brought them together, panting in unison, their union momentarily complete.

Kagome rose shakily and leaned back against him. He used his right hand to press her to him more fully; it rested across her breasts and she quivered at the contact.

“Inuyasha,” she breathed. “That was…”

“I know,” he said. “I know.”

They stood in the tub for several minutes, each enjoying the feel of the other. Finally, Inuyasha disentangled himself from her long enough to grab the shower nozzle. He turned on the hot water. “Here,” he said, gently spraying her down, “let’s get you cleaned up.”

She giggled. “You made a mess, huh?”

He blushed. “You have no idea, Higurashi,” he replied. “That—you—I can’t—.”

Kagome whirled around to face him and caught his hand in her own. Her steely gray eyes held his violet ones; he couldn’t have looked away even if he wanted to.

“It’s okay,” she whispered. Her cheeks flushed and she suddenly couldn’t meet his gaze.

“Hey,” Inuyasha said softly. He gently held her chin and forced her to look him in the face. “You have nothing to ever be embarrassed about. You are…so, so wonderful.”

She sagged against him; he held her close, savoring the feel of her soft body against his for a brief moment before he let her go and stepped out of the tub. He grabbed two towels; one he wrapped quickly around his hips. He held out his free hand to her and helped her out of the tub, then wrapped her in the other towel, once again, embracing her fully.

“Inuyasha,” she whispered.

“Yes?” he said softly.

“Are you ready?”

He nodded. “Yes, ‘Gome.”

She smiled. “Give me a minute?”

“Of course.” He slipped out of the bath and allowed her the space to finish getting ready for bed. He made his way to the bedroom, and turned down the blankets on her mattress, slipping under the covers. He smiled sleepily as he lay there, thinking about the past twenty-four hours.

“Inuyasha?” came a tentative voice from the doorway. He rolled over and looked up. Kagome was resplendent against the light of the bath; her hair was piled up in a bun, and her skin glowed luminescent. He felt like kicking himself to make sure this was all real.

“Inuyasha?” she said again, and then he realized that _fuck_ , she’d been talking to him.

“Yeah, Higurashi,” he replied, hoping he didn’t sound like a total fool. “What’s up?” He smiled at her indulgently.

Kagome sat on the edge of the bed, twirling a loose strand of hair between her fingers. “Before, while we were…you know…”

Yes, he certainly did fucking know, thank you very much.

“…you…” she was clearly terrified of whatever she had to say.

“Out with it, Higurashi,” Inuyasha said. “You can tell me anything.”

Kagome took a deep breath. “Earlier…did you…say…that you _love_ me?”

_Oh._

_FUCK._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How will Kagome react to Inuyasha's (sort of?) declaration of love? What will be Inuyasha and Sango's next steps in the case? Will this day ever end? 
> 
> Thanks everyone so much for reading, as always, and see you at the next update!!


	20. Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha and Kagome have a serious talk about their perspectives on love. Inuyasha asks Kagome an important question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you are safe and doing well.
> 
> I felt kind of bad about leaving you where I did with Ch. 19, so you are getting a bonus chapter to lead you into the weekend! Please enjoy <3 <3

“I…I said that…I loved you?” Inuyasha asked, trying to feign innocence.

Kagome sighed, her hands twisting in the blanket. “When I told you that I trusted you, you said…”

“I think I love you.” Shit. He couldn’t avoid it. So, might as well be straight with her.

Her face was impassive. “You only _think_ that you love me?”

Now it was Inuyasha’s turn to sigh. He sat up in bed; her breath hitched at the sight of his tanned, defined chest, and his strong arms. He leaned forward and cupped her cheeks in his hands, leaning his forehead against hers.

“I don’t just think, Higurashi,” he whispered. “I’m sure. I’m in love with you.”

She frowned prettily, her forehead creasing. She pulled back, away from him, and studied his face intensely. His amber eyes revealed nothing but love and affection for her.

“How can you be so sure?” she asked him skeptically. “How do you know that you love me? Didn’t you love Kikyo-sama, too?”

He flinched. “Sure, I loved her,” he said. “I was so fucking in love with her I couldn’t see straight.”

“Then how can you be in love with me?” she insisted.

“You don’t just love one person in your life, Higurashi,” he pointed out. “I loved her, yeah. But she left, and I had to get over it. That was six months ago.” He paused. “You know how I feel. We’ve talked about this. From the moment I met you, I’ve barely been able to think about anyone or anything other than you. You have consumed me, Higurashi.” His eyes grew dark with desire. “But I like I said, you know all this. Why wouldn’t I be in love with you?”

She blushed. “I—I hadn’t thought much about love,” she admitted. “I hadn’t thought much about it at all. You’re here, and the gods have decreed that we be together. Our bodies respond to that. I hadn’t considered love as part of the equation, honestly.”

Inuyasha hated to admit it, but he could kind of see things from her point of view. She’d spent her whole life waiting for the _one_ person she was going to be with—someone she didn’t get to choose. He, on the other hand, had no prior knowledge of their connection, and had felt himself growing more and more attached to her. When she admitted they were soulmates, it made sense to him, given how intensely he felt for her. But she had experienced that attraction the other way around; she recognized they were soulmates first, then grew attached to him.

Inuyasha needed to get her to see things from his perspective instead of just her own. To get her to open up to the possibility that love could, in fact, exist, and that it could exist for her.

For _them._

“When we met, for the first time, outside the school,” he tried. “Did you feel anything for me? Anything at all?”

“I—I—” Kagome was stammering. She didn’t know what to say.

He took both her hands in one of his, heat scorching their palms. Kagome hissed; Inuyasha took a deep breath, trying to suppress his feelings for her. “You can tell me, Higurashi,” he said softly.

“Yes,” she whispered. She couldn’t look him in the eye.

“Higurashi.” She refused to respond, still looking down. “ _Kagome_.” He took one of his hands and tipped her chin, his other hand still tightly wrapped around both of her own. Kagome quivered as Inuyasha’s deep violent eyes captured her stormy ones, refusing to allow her to look anywhere else. “Tell me,” he added simply.

“Yes,” she whispered again. “Gods in heaven help me, but _yes_. I thought you were the most beautiful man I had ever seen.”

He leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to hers. The electricity between them was palpable; Inuyasha swore he felt sparks coming off their kiss. Kagome moaned slightly; he pulled away, but held her hand and chin steady in his grasp.

“Now,” he said tenderly, “can you tell me that you weren’t thinking about doing _that_ before you knew we were soulmates?”

Kagome’s blush deepened. “Those weren’t thoughts I was allowed to have, Inuyasha.”

Inuyasha was confused. “But, Higurashi…”

“No, Inuyasha,” she said suddenly, her eyes coming alive with a fierceness he had never seen before. “ _You don’t understand_. I couldn’t allow myself to feel anything, for anyone. If I did, and they weren’t my soulmate, and I let myself get carried away, my career would be over. Like, _over_. Everything I’ve worked so hard for, gone!” She broke free from him and stood, pacing the room nervously.

“Almost my whole life,” she continued, “I have felt like this whole soulmate thing was a ticking time bomb. Would I find them? And when? And how? And what would happen to me?” She laughed a little. “And the older I got, the more I was afraid of finding them. I started hugging people—touching them—to try and figure out if they were my soulmate. I tried to do it as soon as possible, so that I could build up my walls.” She frowned. “I built up a wall with Hojo. And I tried to do it again with Kouga.” She let out a choking sob. “Kouga didn’t want to give up as easily as the others. But the first time I met him, I knew there could never be anything between us, no matter how he felt or what he wanted.” Her voice grew sad. “And I think that was enough for him. It was enough for me. I had Miroku and Sango, and Kouga, and Kaede, and my family, and Buyo. I didn’t need anything or anyone in a romantic way.”

Inuyasha was quiet. He could the pain and sadness radiating off her in waves. He wanted to pull her to him, to comfort her, to kiss away her tears, but he knew to hold back. She needed to tell him how she felt, and she needed to do it at her own pace.

She paused her pacing in front of the bed, and knelt down in front of where he was sitting. “And then I saw you. Everything about you was insanely appealing.” He swung his legs over the side of the bed; Kagome pulled herself between his thighs, resting her forearms on them, looking up into his warm, open face. “The way that your eyes showed your concern for Akemi and Akari. The way you humored me and let me call Sango from your phone. The way you swept the girls up into your arms and offered to take them for ice cream. The way that you looked at me.” She couldn’t help it; she reached up and ran the pads of her fingers over his cheek. “I couldn’t get you out of my mind. A few days later, you showed up to walk me home. We touched. You know what happened after that.”

Inuyasha leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers again. “Has it been worth it, Higurashi? Has it been worth it, opening up your heart to me?”

Kagome squeezed his thighs lightly, tears now openly streaming down her cheeks. She pushed up into him, effectively tackling him back onto the bed. She straddled his hips; he felt her soft folds pulsing against the hardness of his cock. “Higurashi,” he murmured.

Kagome hovered over him, and dropped a kiss on his lips. “You are worth it, Matsushita Inuyasha,” she breathed. “You are worth it.” She rested her body on top of his; he wrapped his arms around her tightly. They lay like that for a few minutes, enjoying the feel of their bodies molded together. Finally, Kagome pushed up so she floated above him, her head resting in her hand, her elbow placed deliberately on his chest. Fiery gold or intense violet, she could look into those eyes forever; she’d known that from the first time she saw him.

“We have other things to discuss, Higurashi,” he said, his hand reaching up to cup her face.

“Discussions can wait, Inuyasha,” she whispered, nuzzling his hand. His breath hitched.

“No, really,” replied Inuyasha frantically. “Before we go to sleep, before we…make love again, we have to talk.”

Kagome nipped his palm playfully. “Fine,” she acquiesced. “What do you want to talk about?”

“Your power,” Inuyasha said simply. Kagome’s face paled.

“What about my power?” she whispered.

“You still have it, don’t you?” he whispered back.

She offered him a tiny nod.

Inuyasha was quiet for a long moment. Kagome continued to nuzzle his hand.

“What do you think it means, Higurashi?” he murmured. He brought up his other hand, and she started nuzzling that one, too, twisting her face between his hands and sighing as she nudged one, then the other, with her nose. She offered his palms tiny flicks of her tongue. His breath started coming in short gasps. _You have to get through this, Matsushita_ , he told himself fiercely, steeling his resolve against her microseductions.

“I—don’t know,” Kagome slowly breathed, pausing in her efforts at last. “It’s not what I expected would happen.”

“What _did_ you think would happen?”

“That we’d—you know—and that I would feel some kind of hollowness. That my reiki would leave, and I’d be—I don’t know—an empty vessel.” Tears started to form in the corners of her eyes. “And I’d become a wife, and a mother, and raise some spiritual children, and that would be it for me.” Her face hardened; the tears leaked out. “That’s not the life I want, Inuyasha. At all.”

“I would never want that life for you, Higurashi,” he said, his thumbs gently caressing her cheeks. “I want you to have the life that you’ve always wanted. Whatever that means. I’ll be there to support you. You want to run the school with the monk; I’m fine with that. You want to have lots of babies?” She blushed; he grinned. “You want to do both of those things?” He pulled her to him and kissed her with all the love in his heart. “Whatever you decide, Higurashi. We’ll figure it out together. You don’t have to retire and give up the school; you can do what you want. And I promise, I’ll support you.”

Now Kagome began to weep in earnest. “Inuyasha,” she breathed.

“Keh,” he said, stroking her hair gently. “None of that. We’re soulmates. We make our future together.” He frowned, and led her so she lay on his chest. “That’s the other thing we need to discuss,” he continued.

“What is?” she asked absently, tracing the muscles of his chest with the pad of her finger.

“My lifespan,” he replied. “Is much, much longer than yours.”

Kagome was quiet, continuing her outlining of his pecs.

“Kagome,” he said insistently.

“I—I don’t want to think about that right now,” she said softly. “I want to enjoy what time we have together. Can we…can we do that? Please?” her voice took on a plaintive sound that broke his heart. He felt her tears dropping onto his chest.

Inuyasha crushed her to him. “Of course,” he replied. “Whatever you want.”

“Just, please,” she whispered. “Please just love me. Tonight.”

Inuyasha lifted her gently in his arms and rolled her over so he hovered above her. He brushed her hair away from her face and pressed his lips to hers. He felt her sigh and quake under him; her arms snaked around his neck.

“Always,” he replied. “Always.”

* * *

Kagome awoke to her alarm wailing away on her bedside table. She groggily picked it up, pressed Snooze, and rolled back over. She reached out for Inuyasha, only to find that the left side of the bed was empty. She grumbled, and snuggled under the blankets alone, pulling her pillow over her head.

She was _almost_ asleep when she felt the mattress depress slightly beside her. A clawed hand began tickling her neck. She grunted and slapped it away, yanking the pillow more fiercely over her head.

“Are you trying to get more sleep or suffocate yourself, Higurashi?”

“Go away, Inuyasha,” she growled. “Give me five more minutes.”

Inuyasha grabbed the pillow and tossed it across the room. Kagome squeaked as he straddled her, leaning down to gently run kisses along her jawbone and up to her ear. She swatted at him and tried to roll away, but his thighs held her firmly.

“It’s time to get up,” he said. “Happy Monday.”

She closed her eyes and turned her head. “Fuck off,” she muttered.

Inuyasha stifled a laugh. “Not a morning person, are we, Higurashi?”

Kagome peeled her eyes open long enough to glare at him. “I would be if you gave me _five more minutes_.”

He got up. “Fine,” he said. “I made coffee. Wouldn’t want it to get cold.” And he left the bedroom.

 _Coffee_? _What?_

Kagome turned over and pulled the blanket up over her head, still seeking out that elusive five more minutes.

When she finally did stumble out of the bedroom, a good fifteen minutes later, Inuyasha was leaning against the kitchen counter, drinking a cup of coffee, scrolling through his phone. She smiled and padded over to him.

“Morning,” she purred, wrapping her arms around his waist. “You’re _you_ again.” He grinned; he couldn’t help it. She liked him better as himself, not as a human. He couldn’t lie; he’d been pretty fucking worried that she would find his usual form undesirable after she saw him as a human. The relief washed over him, and he squeezed her with one arm.

“Feeling better?” he teased her, and handed her a cup of coffee.

“Sorry,” Kagome said apologetically, “I need one of those nightshirts with an angry cat that says ‘I don’t do Mondays’ or something.” She took a sip of the coffee, and kept the mug close to her face, inhaling. “It smells amazing,” she said, surprised. “You made this?”

Inuyasha nodded, gesturing at the percolator on the counter.

“I—own that?”

He nodded again. “I had to do some digging in the cabinets, but yeah. It works great, too.”

She stood on tiptoe and kissed him lightly. “Thank you,” she said.

“Keh,” he replied. “No big deal.”

Kagome snuggled up to him, enjoying the warmth of his body against the chill of hers. “I mean for last night,” she said shyly.

Inuyasha blushed. “I don’t think I’ve ever had that much fun on my human night,” he told her honestly. “We’ll have to make that a monthly habit.”

“I think that can be arranged,” she said playfully, sipping her coffee. “This is so good,” she added.

“Higurashi.” Kagome looked up at Inuyasha, her eyes bright. “I want to ask you something.”

She frowned. “You sound serious.”

“I am.”

Kagome stayed snuggled into his side. “Then, shoot.”

Inuyasha fidgeted, then set down his coffee. “I want you to come and stay with me for a bit. We can bring Buyo; I’ve gotten kind of used to the cat, believe it or not. You can pack up this morning before you go to school; I’ll come by later today to pick everything up.”

Kagome pulled away from him, her face flushed with anger. “Just a second, Inuyasha—”

Inuyasha grabbed her coffee and set it aside. He grasped both her hands in his. “Dammit, I am fucking _worried_ about you! And I’m worried that whoever is taking the mikos knows where you live!”

“I can take care of myself, you know,” she said hotly. “Let whoever is kidnapping mikos come and _try_ to kidnap me.”

Inuyasha dropped her hands and began to pace the length of the floor. He rubbed his temples, trying to keep his shit together. _Deep breaths, Matsushita_ , he told himself. _Higurashi doesn’t need to see both your extremes in less than twelve hours_.

He took one, last, very deep breath. “Higurashi,” he said, hoping his voice sounded calmer than he felt. “I love you, okay? I don’t want to lose you. _I am worried_. Murasaki is worried. Totosai is worried. We all want you to stay safe. And I think that the more we mess with your regular routines, the less likely it is for someone to take you. And I don’t want to hear that you can take care of yourself,” he added when she opened her mouth to argue. “How much do you know about the other missing person cases? Besides what you’ve seen in the ME office?”

Kagome didn’t say a word.

“ _Exactly_.” He was trying not to get snippy, but now he was worked up. “Tanaka, Yamamoto, and Ito were all taken while they were closing up their shrines. It was easy for someone to watch them, see what they’re doing and when, and figure out the best time and way to take them. Someone could be watching you, following you when you leave the apartment, when you arrive at the school, seeing what you do in between…” He growled, and nearly punched himself in the face to keep things toned down. Instead, he gripped his hands tightly, ignoring the scent of his own blood. “I cannot think about what might happen if you were taken and I could’ve done something to stop it. So _please_ ,” he added at the end, coming back to her side and taking her hands gently in his. “ _Please_ do this for me. For _us_.”

Kagome tried to protest, she really did, but she saw the love and desperation in Inuyasha’s amber eyes. They were filled with worry and pain, and she instantly regretted fighting him on this.

Because it was no longer just about her.

It was about _them_.

Kagome’s eyes grew wide. She was part of a _them_.

No longer were her feelings and opinions the only ones that mattered. She had another person to worry about, to listen to, and to talk things over with. From now on, all her decisions would be made jointly. From now on, her life would never be her own—Inuyasha would always be there, to share in the good, and in the bad.

Kagome felt like she should hate this development, like she should be turning and running away, as fast and as far as she could.

But in reality, she didn’t hate it. Not even a little bit.

She took a deep breath. “Okay,” she said softly.

Inuyasha’s ears twitched. “Did you—"

“Don’t make me say it again, dog boy,” she said, a bit of a huff in her voice. Her blue-gray eyes, though, were soft. _Like clouds_ , Inuyasha thought.

“I’ll pack enough for a week,” she said. “And I’ll put some food in a bag for Buyo. He’s got a carrier, which I’ll leave out, and I wish you luck coaxing him into it.” She laughed a little. “I think—I think you’re right,” she added, her voice hitching a bit. “I haven’t really been worried, but I think that you’re right that maybe I should be.”

Inuyasha let out a gust of air and crushed her to his chest. He was so fucking relieved he could scarcely hold it together. “Thank you,” he murmured, his face fully immersed in her hair and her scent. He wanted to imprint her so he would be able to carry her with him all day. Kagome’s arms went around his back, patting him a little awkwardly.

He held her out at arm’s length, looked her over, then let her go. He handed Kagome her coffee mug. “The monk will be here for you at 9:30,” he said. “I’ve already worked it out with Murasaki. He’ll have to leave at 2 to pick up the girls, but they will all be back at the school by 3:30 for class. And I’ll be there at 8:30 sharp.” His voice dropped. “Do you think the wolf will show up today?”

“I hope so,” Kagome replied. “I need to talk to him. I don’t like how we left things yesterday.”

“That, Higurashi, was his own fucking fault.” Inuyasha leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “I need to go. I’m late already. If you need _anything_ today, don’t hesitate to call me. I’ll be at the station until about 10:30, and then I have a meeting with my bastard brother at 11, and then a lunch meeting at 1. But if _you need me_ , call me. Got it?”

Kagome sighed. “Got it.” She frowned at him. “So, if you are a detective, do you actually, like, do some detecting? Or is it just all meetings and picking up your partner’s daughters from school while she does all the work?”

Inuyasha chuckled and tapped her on the nose. “Koi, if only you knew.” He paused. “It’s a fucking load of paperwork, and a lot of talking to people, both things I’m usually shit at. Which is why Murasaki is a good partner for me. She’s way more articulate.”

“I think you’re pretty articulate, Inuyasha,” Kagome murmured, her cheeks pinking.

Inuyasha barked out a laugh. “In the bedroom, yes, but I’m much better in the middle of the action than in the middle of a meeting.”

“I don’t know,” she retorted gently, “you held your own with Sesshomaru-sama pretty well.”

Inuyasha smirked. “He’s an asshole and an idiot. It’s not that hard.” He kissed her lips, wishing he had time to give her a proper goodbye. “I’ll check in with you after my lunch meeting, before I come back here, okay? Oh.” He held out his hand. “I will need your key.”

“My key?” she squeaked. He nodded, smirking. “I have a spare in the drawer,” she said, turning to the drawer next to the refrigerator. She set down her coffee, wrenched the drawer open, and rummaged around for a bit. “Here,” she said at last, holding up several keys on a key ring. She pulled up the blue key first. “This will let you into the building,” she said, then held up an orange key. “This is for the bottom lock to my door, and this one—” she held up a green key “—is for the top lock. The top lock sticks, so make sure you’ve turned the key all the way.” He made to take the keys from her, but she pulled back. “Na-ah-ah,” she said sweetly, swinging the keyring in her hand. “I require payment first.”

Inuyasha chuckled, put his coffee down, and yanked her flush with his chest. He promptly ravaged her mouth, not even giving her the opportunity to let him in. Instead, he barged his way into her soft, moist heat, brushing relentlessly against her pulsating tongue. He invaded her thoroughly; Kagome gasped and melted into his hold.

Then, as soon as she started feeling the heat pool in her groin, he pulled away, leaving her breathless and panting. “ _That’s_ a preview of tonight,” he said, grinning. Inuyasha took the keys, grabbed his messenger bag and his coffee, and slipped on his shoes in the genkan. “Talk to you later, Higurashi,” he said casually, waving his hand. “Be a good girl for me, okay?”

Kagome felt herself melting away. Holy gods, she was going to be a puddle on the floor.

“I’ll—I’ll be good,” she rasped out as he closed the door.

Kagome listened as Inuyasha headed down the hall to the stairway, and smiled as he sent out his youki in a billowing haze; she could feel him marking the territory outside her apartment as his. Once upon a time, she would have found the gesture annoying (and had, in fact, scolded Kouga for doing it several times). Now, though, she found it relentlessly endearing. She waited outside the door to track him with her reiki, and when she was sure he wasn’t coming back, she went back into her bedroom to start packing, Buyo meowing plaintively after her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Kagome has _finally_ come around and agreed to let Inuyasha properly protect her. About time, girl!
> 
> In the next chapter: Inuyasha visits Sesshomaru, which goes about as well as you can imagine, and he does some serious reflecting on his own family. Then, he meets up with his mysterious 1pm appointment. Who could it be? (I think we all have a good idea!) As always, thanks so much for reading--your comments are endlessly wonderful and helpful as I continue to write and edit. I appreciate you all, so very much, and will see you at the next update!!


	21. Reflections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a meeting with Sesshomaru, Inuyasha is forced to confront his past. And a meeting with a surprise person gives Inuyasha even more cause for concern re: Kagome.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! Wherever you are, I hope that you are safe and well.
> 
> Today's chapter is dedicated to [NeutronStarChild](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeutronStarChild/pseuds/NeutronStarChild): I am eternally grateful for our conversations about one particular character in this chapter, which really helped me think about how I wanted to shape her. You are amazing <3 
> 
> And now, please enjoy an extra-long chapter of Spirited Soulmates!

Inuyasha frowned as he stood outside the Matsushita Technologies building, looking up at the wide expanse of concrete and glass. He scowled. If this wasn’t the most important meeting of his life, he might have skipped it so that he could prepare for his 1:00 lunch date. Because quite frankly, that one was also going to require _a lot_ of patience and self-control. Inuyasha felt like smacking himself. He was an idiot for scheduling these particular meetings on the same day, back-to-back. It was too bad that time was of the utmost importance these days.

Inuyasha wrenched open the doors of his family’s business and marched up to the front desk, letting his youki out in a massive wave so everyone knew he was there. He didn’t know why he was so hell-bent on letting his youki crash about; he’d done it at Kagome’s apartment to mark her as his, and he was doing it here, too, this time to assert his once-rightful place in the company. He emitted a low growl, feeling incredibly possessive and cranky.

“Matsushita-san,” said the red-haired ookami administrative assistant at the front desk, looking at him disdainfully, “we all know—you have an appointment with Matsushita-sama.”

Inuyasha grinned at her, his fangs dripping, his youki still swirling around him. “11:00, Hitoshi-san.”

The assistant rolled her eyes. “He’s expecting you. You can go right up. But maybe tamp down that youki first, my Lord.”

“Don’t call me that,” Inuyasha said fiercely, “I haven’t been a ‘Lord’ in over a hundred years.”

“Whatever,” Hitoshi replied, now idly filing her nails. “Go ahead up. You know where the office is.”

“Thanks for your help, Hitoshi-san,” he said sarcastically, flinging his youki in her direction as he headed towards the elevator. He felt her throw up her own youki to block it, and he smirked.

As he rode up to Sesshomaru’s floor, Inuyasha pulled his thoughts together. There were a few things he had to make sure he discussed with his brother. Quickly, he whipped out his phone and opened up the Notes app, jotting down some quick ideas to help him stay on track while he and Sesshomaru talked. Because he needed to cover everything, and he needed to not be late to his 1:00 appointment.

Surprisingly, Sesshomaru was waiting for Inuyasha when the elevator doors opened. The Lord of the West was dressed in his customary dark gray wool suit and white button-down shirt, but this time, his shirt was fully buttoned and he wore a lilac tie, just slightly darker than the crescent moon on his forehead.

“Pretty formal to see your ostracized half-brother, huh, Sess?” Inuyasha said, stepping off the elevator, prepared this time to handle Sesshomaru’s incredible youki as it threatened to encompass him. Inuyasha simply stretched out his own youki, just enough to block Sesshomaru’s, but not enough to challenge him. That’s not why he was there today.

“This Sesshomaru had an important meeting and needed to look the part today, little brother,” Sesshomaru replied easily, leading his brother to his office. Inuyasha took note of the casualness with which Sesshomaru regarded him. No longer did Sesshomaru try to threaten him, nor did he act indifferent. Could their recent meetings have changed things between them? Might they have a chance to get along again?

Inuyasha’s thoughts turned to Kagome. Could she be the reason for Sesshomaru’s changed attitude?

“You are thinking of the miko, little brother,” Sesshomaru commented, opening the door to his office and letting his brother go in front. Inuyasha grunted his thanks and settled himself at Sesshomaru’s desk. Sesshomaru took his place behind it and leaned forward, bending his elbows, resting his head in his hands. There was a hint of curiosity on Sesshomaru’s face.

“I am,” Inuyasha replied, folding his hands behind his head and leaning back in his seat, a slight smirk playing on his lips.

“And why are you here, then, Inuyasha?” Sesshomaru asked.

Inuyasha sighed removed his hands from behind his head. “I need to talk to you about two things, Sess,” he replied. “First, the case. And then, yeah, Higurashi.”

“Fine,” said Sesshomaru. “What about the case?”

Inuyasha pulled out his phone and looked at his notes. “Higurashi went to see one of the victims yesterday, to check the body for any residual reiki. She was unable to detect it on the first two bodies we found—her findings were the same as mine. But this time, she found something. There was a spark of reiki that the victim had left behind, and in that spark, Higurashi found the victim’s memories of what had happened to her.”

Sesshomaru’s eyebrow raised, but he said nothing.

“According to Higurashi, the miko was kidnapped and taken to an unknown location, where she was stripped and poked and prodded with a series of needles and the like. She was mostly kept unconscious. At one point, she awoke in a large metal tube, and noted pains in her arms and below her collarbone.” He paused. “This description matches what we had found on the victims’ bodies—track lines on their arms, an incision below their right collarbone.” He went back to his notes. “At one point, the tube filled with light, and caused the victim intense pain, originating at the spot on her chest and radiating throughout her body. Then the victim pooled all her efforts into hiding a spark of her reiki, and she died.” Inuyasha put down his phone and looked at his brother. “Is it possible that the two cases I’ve been looking at are actually one? That whoever is kidnapping the mikos is using that laser on them? And doing something to their reiki?”

Sesshomaru gazed impassively at his brother for several moments, clacking his claws on his fingers together ceaselessly. Inuyasha grit his teeth but said nothing.

“Is this not a question for your partner, little brother?” Sesshomaru asked.

“We’ve briefly discussed it,” Inuyasha said shortly. “I need to know from you if this is possible, before I take my theory back to Murasaki and then to Totosai. Totosai in particular’s gonna want something that’s possible, not a fantasy.”

Sesshomaru nodded. “It’s possible.”

Inuyasha’s breath caught. _He fucking knew it_.

Quickly, he pulled himself together. “Can you answer another question for me, Sess?” Sesshomaru continued to look at his brother, the same bored countenance shifting across his face. “Could Tsuji Onigumo be behind this all?”

Sesshomaru flicked his claws at his brother. “One could assume that is also a possibility.”

“What can you tell me about his role in the Human-Youkai Treaty, then?” Inuyasha asked. _Fuck_ , he cursed inwardly at himself. _I should have kept my stupid fucking title, after all._ Crawling back to his brother—asking his brother’s opinion on human-youkai matters—was hardly something he was keen on doing, largely because he knew his brother’s opinion, and knew Sesshomaru’s biases clouded those opinions. For one of the few times in his life, Inuyasha recognized the value of his former role.

Sesshomaru eyed his brother with something akin to interest. “Had you kept your title, you would know.”

_How does he fucking do that?_

Inuyasha suppressed a growl. “Please, Sess.” He couldn’t believe he was begging his brother, yet there he was.

Sesshomaru rose and went to one of his many filing cabinets. He opened a drawer, rifled through some folders, and pulled out one particularly thick one. He returned to his desk, sat down, and slid the folder across the desk to Inuyasha.

“What the fuck is this?” Inuyasha asked rudely. He couldn’t help it. He’d just begged his brother for help, and his brother comes back with a yet another fucking file folder?

“You are the detective in the family,” Sesshomaru replied blandly. “Read the file. Do some detecting. This Sesshomaru cannot possibly know what you are looking for. This one is not a mind reader. Do the work yourself, little brother.”

Inuyasha was silent, because his brother was _fucking right_. Hells, Inuyasha himself wasn’t even sure what he was looking for. He took the folder and slipped it into his bag.

“Thanks,” he muttered.

“You said you had another matter to discuss, little brother,” Sesshomaru said smoothly, tapping his claws on the pine. How he was doing that without leaving dents, Inuyasha didn’t know.

“I do,” Inuyasha replied, his cheeks heating up. Maybe this had been a bad idea.

Sesshomaru leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. His cool golden gaze—the opposite of Inuyasha’s heated molten one—eyed his brother calmly. Sesshomaru slowly raised one eyebrow.

“I need—I need—I need to talk to you about Higurashi,” he mumbled.

“Speak up, Inuyasha,” Sesshomaru stated, enunciating clearly in contrast to his brother’s mumbling.

Inuyasha growled. “We need to talk about Higurashi, you bastard,” he hissed.

Sesshomaru’s gaze remained steady. “What about the miko could be worth this one’s time?” he asked coolly. “She is human, and a miko.”

“And my soulmate,” Inuyasha jumped in.

Now _that_ caught Sesshomaru’s attention. He looked up at his brother, surprised, his golden eyes revealing a hint of incredulity.

“It’s true,” Inuyasha said. “It’s fucking true.”

“Then congratulations are in order,” Sesshomaru said, as though congratulating Inuyasha was exactly the _last_ thing he wanted to do.

“I have to ask you about mating.” Inuyasha rushed forward, not stopping. He was afraid he would lose his nerve if he did.

Sesshomaru’s eyebrow quirked.

“Is that your plan, little brother, to mate her?” asked Sesshomaru, picking up a file and dragging it over his claws. The sound of the nails scraping against the metal was making Inuyasha _crazy_. He grit his teeth and plowed forward. _Kagome, Kagome, Kagome_ , he chanted, reminding himself of the purpose of this conversation.

“I don’t know?” Inuyasha replied. “I—how—I’m worried, Sess. About our lifespans.”

“Hn,” Sesshomaru mused.

Inuyasha was now grasping at words, desperately wishing he had a brother who wasn’t a complete prick. “I can’t lose her, Sess. Not when I’ve finally found her. Is there a way for her to stay with me?”

Sesshomaru was once again surprised, the eyebrow quirking again. “Of course,” he replied. Inuyasha let out a whoosh of air he hadn’t known he was holding. Sesshomaru watched his brother, mildly amused.

“When you officially take the miko as your mate, her lifespan will expand to match yours,” Sesshomaru said simply. “This is true of all youkai matings. Take this one’s mate, for example. Elemental youkai do not live nearly as long as inu youkai, especially not with our bloodline. When this one mated with Kagura, she took on our lifespan. This Sesshomaru imagines this will be the case with your miko, as well.”

_Was it really that fucking simple?_

Inuyasha breathed, in and out, carefully and deliberately. “A few more questions on the matter of mating?” Sesshomaru gave a tiny nod. Inuyasha had to choose his words carefully. “First, how do I mate her?”

“Inu youkai mark their mates with a bite,” Sesshomaru explained simply, ambivalent to the content of the conversation even as Inuyasha flushed red. “You will do this at the height of your coitus, by biting into the juncture of her neck and shoulder. Infuse it with your youki, and you have extended her life. This one would assume she will want to bite you in return to infuse you with some of her reiki. That will make it a true spiritual joining.” Sesshomaru looked disgusted with the concept; Inuyasha noticed his brother’s face, and had to seriously dial down his own anger. This was his goddman soulmate they were talking about!

Just one more question, because he had to know, and because he knew it would piss Sesshomaru off.

“Were my mother and our father…mated?” Inuyasha asked softly.

Sesshomaru’s face switched from disgust to outrage. “They were not,” he said shortly. “Our father was still married to this one’s mother. Our father and your— _mother_ —” he practically spat the word, and Inuyasha growled “—were soulmates. However, youkai law forbid our father from mating another while married, and this one’s mother may have given up her place at our father’s side easily, but she refused to give up the marriage.” Sesshomaru suddenly snorted. “Your mother was a weak miko who drove this one’s mother away. It is ridiculous to think that the Inu no Taisho would mate a mere human.”

“That’s exactly what I am thinking of doing, Sess.” The heat in Inuyasha’s voice was difficult to miss.

“You are already a half-breed,” Sesshomaru spat. “And you have rejected this family. Your life decisions are none of this Sesshomaru’s concern.”

Inuyasha rose and let loose an enormous amount of youki; it flooded the room and Sesshomaru’s eyes narrowed.

“I see that, once again, your old prejudices have come to light, onii-san,” said Inuyasha quietly. “I had hoped that we were past all this. It has been…good…to talk with you civilly again. I had hoped that perhaps things had changed.” He picked up his bag and turned to leave. “I’ll see you in about another fifty years, Sess. Maybe you’ll have grown the fuck up by then.” He turned to leave.

“Inuyasha,” said Sesshomaru suddenly. Inuyasha paused, his ears twitching in his brother’s direction, his face still turned to the door.

“This one has also… _enjoyed_ …speaking with you,” Sesshomaru continued evenly. “Long-held prejudices and angers are difficult to overcome. This Sesshomaru is…working…on it.”

Now Inuyasha turned to face his brother, arms crossed, eyebrows raised.

“Should you decide to mate the miko,” said Sesshomaru, “your family will lend its support.” He paused and took a breath. “She is…a good match for you.”

Inuyasha’s face broke into a tight smile. He nodded once. “I’ll be in touch,” he said, and left the office.

Sesshomaru sat back down at his desk and, once he was sure his brother was gone, rested his head in his hands. So much had happened between them—so much anger, and resentment, and pain—that it had been difficult to imagine that a time would come where he and his brother would be able to be in the same room without killing each other, much less have a conversation about Inuyasha’s love life. And yet, there they were, Sesshomaru fulfilling the role of big brother he had long ago abdicated. And on their father’s honor, he had kind of enjoyed it. Until he fucked it up.

Truth be told, he held a lot of anger towards his father, Toga—even though it had been well over a hundred years since his death—for having a miko as a soulmate. His parents had never been happily married, that was true, but at least there had been a façade of a marriage that had been good enough for Sesshomaru. He had been a fully-grown inu youkai when the Inu no Taisho met Izayoi, Inuyasha’s mother, but Sesshomaru still felt an intense pang of hatred in his heart for them both: for betraying Sesshomaru’s own mother, for betraying _him,_ no matter how much he could see that Izayoi made his father happy, while his mother did not.

And now, that anger had manifested itself yet _again_ , and was directed at the person who, in his heart of hearts, Sesshomaru had never truly wanted to hurt. And yet, he continued to do so. Because the actual person he was angry at was no longer there, and while he had been, Sesshomaru had been too afraid to say how he really felt.

Imagine that! Sesshomaru, the Lord of the West, the current Inu no Tasiho: afraid.

Well, no more.

The next time the Lord of the West saw his brother, he intended to make things right.

* * *

Inuyasha stormed through the streets of Marunouchi, his youki still billowing about. People on the street, human and youkai, were wise enough to give him a wide berth. He wandered aimlessly, feeling his youki chafe against his soul in its desire to be unleashed.

To say that his brother had opened up old wounds would be an understatement. Sesshomaru had effectively laid bare years upon years of prejudice, of rejection, of _hatred_ , all on his own brother. Inuyasha growled and threw up his youki as a protective barrier around him, now drawing looks from concerned passersby.

Inuyasha thought back to what he had learned from his brother. He hadn’t known much about his parents’ relationship: they loved each other, they loved him, they loved Sesshomaru (even if the stupid bastard couldn’t see that). But his discussion with Sesshomaru had shown him a few things.

First, his parents had never mated, and thus, his parents had never had the opportunity to live out their lives with the person that they loved. Instead, his mother died, and his father was left to live without her. Inuyasha didn’t know anything about the effects of losing one’s soulmate, but he imagined it was a thousand times worse than the feeling he had in the pit of his gut when Kagome wasn’t around. He’d been grumpy and possessive all morning, and he knew it was because he missed her. Kagome consumed his thoughts on a regular basis. What would it be like to never again feel her warm, soft touch? To gaze into her stormy eyes? To kiss her? To make love with her?

Inuyasha felt a rush of sympathy and pity for his father that he’d never felt in the Inu no Taisho’s lifetime. The grief that his father had lived with…must have been insurmountable.

He looked up and found that he had wandered into a park: more specifically, from the look of it, the flower garden at Hibiya Park. Inuyasha paused, and took a moment to breathe in the fresher air. Even though it was November, the day was warmer than usual, and there were a fair number of people strolling through, admiring the manmade ponds and the statues. He found a larger pond, slightly further away from the others, and settled on a rock beneath a Japanese maple. Inuyasha tried to sort through what was in his head.

His father…yes, knowing what he knew now, it made total sense why he’d wanted to go after the dragon daiyoukai, Ryuukotsusei, alone, all those years ago. After the death of the Lord of the South, Ryuukotsusei had been angling to take over the Southern lands, and had been amassing an army. Inuyasha’s father and the other Lords (including a very young and brash Kouga) assembled their own army to intervene and to try and prevent the loss of life—youkai and human alike. A youkai war at that time—if Inuyasha remembered correctly, it was the Meiji period—would have been devastating on the population. For reasons unknown, Toga had insisted on facing Ryuukotsusei in battle alone instead. Sesshomaru had been impassive, but Inuyasha remembered begging his father not to do it—not to go. Toga had simply patted his son on the shoulder, put on his armor, and left.

The next time Inuyasha saw his father, he was barely alive, mortally wounded by Ryuukotsusei. He’d succeeded in sealing the dragon daiyoukai away in a cliff, but the cost would be his own life. It had been a fierce battle, Sesshomaru had said, and they should be proud of the way their father had fought.

But Inuyasha didn’t care about wars or battles or titles. He’d lost his mother when he was a little boy, and in that moment, barely a man, he was about to lose his father, too.

Inuyasha _hated_ thinking about those days. But yet, he was doing it, for the first time in probably fifty years. Because dammit, he needed to work this through. Sesshomaru had brought all the old wounds to the surface, and if he was going to get through the rest of his day—hells, if he was going to get through the rest of his _life_ —he needed to get this out of his head. And the only way to do that was to recall, analyze, reflect, and then move on, the best that he could.

* * *

_Inuyasha’s father lay in his bed at the estate, bloodied and clinging to life, his golden eyes listless, his breathing harsh and shallow. The Inu no Taisho was reduced to a fragile body whose overconfidence had revealed its ultimate weaknesses. Inuyasha sat by his side, clutching his father’s hand, resting it against his own cheek. He was desperate to feel the warmth of Toga’s touch, the reassuring way his father would always pinch his cheek or pat his shoulder—something, anything, to let him know everything would be all right._

_Totosai and Myoga, Toga’s most trusted advisors, sat in chairs close by. Sesshomaru leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his own armor, his face maintaining its usual stony countenance. Totosai looked stricken; Myoga’s face was buried in his hands. No one could speak._

_The healers had come and gone; Toga had refused to see them. Refused any treatment at all. He could barely speak, but the way he’d closed his eyes and turned his head told everyone his thoughts on the matter of healing. Even the mikos that Totosai had sent for. Toga sent everyone away._

_The great Inu no Taisho—who had outlived emperors and shoguns and daimyos, who had outlived some of the most powerful youkai to ever exist—had shown the world that he was, in fact, fallible, and was, in fact, near death._

_“Inuyasha,” called Toga, soft and wheezing. Not at all, Inuyasha noted with despair, like his father’s usual booming voice._

_“Father,” whispered Inuyasha, pressing his father’s hand over his nose and mouth, trying to imprint his father’s scent._

_“Sesshomaru,” was the next word Toga uttered. Sesshomaru was at their father’s bedside in an instant, opposite from Inuyasha, looking down at Toga with a gaze that Inuyasha had never been quite able to identify. Parts anger, parts regret, parts sadness; it was the only time Inuyasha had seen his half-brother have any reflection of feeling cross his face._

_“My Lord Father,” Sesshomaru replied automatically, dropping to his father’s side._

_Toga looked back and forth between his sons. “Sesshomaru,” he rasped. “Your…brother…”_

_Sesshomaru looked up at Inuyasha, and Inuyasha nearly cringed. Sesshomaru’s face was now fully twisted with anger._

_“You are the next Lord of the West,” Toga whispered._

_Sesshomaru bowed his head. “Yes, Father,” he said, anger seeping through his tone._

_“Look out for him,” Toga said, then turned to Inuyasha, who was still pressing Toga’s hand into his face. Sesshomaru’s head was still bowed, but Inuyasha could see him now shaking._

_“My son,” Toga said. “I’m sorry.”_

_The tears streamed down Inuyasha’s cheeks. “No,” Inuyasha whispered._

_No. No. No._

_Toga closed his eyes. Those were the last words he spoke._

_He lingered on the boundary between life and death for several hours after that, but never regained consciousness. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru sat by his bedside the entire time; Inuyasha still held onto their father’s hand, while Sesshomaru sat, resting his head in his hands, on Toga’s other side. In the moments before Toga passed, Inuyasha swore he felt his father squeeze his hand; when the Inu no Taisho finally stopped breathing, Inuyasha laid his head on his father’s chest and wept._

_Inuyasha felt a hand on his shoulder. “He is at peace, my Lord.” It was Totosai._

_“My Lord—” this was Myoga “—we must prepare his body for burial.”_

_And Inuyasha completely lost it._

_Red seeped into his eyes; his pupils turned electric blue; jagged purple lines stretched across his cheeks; his fangs and claws elongated. He threw himself over his father’s body, snarling and snapping at anyone who came near._

_No. He had lost his mother. He was_ not _going to lose his father, too._

_In the end, Totosai and Myoga had to bring in a miko to restrain him. Even now, he had only flashes of memories of what happened after his father died: he remembered throwing himself across Toga’s body, and snarling at Totosai. After that, nothing._

_He awoke chained in his own bed, growling and barking and howling. He floated in and out of consciousness for several days after that; he had very little memory of that time, save for flashes of seeing Totosai or Myoga, or the series of mikos who were keeping him sealed._

_Finally, one day, he opened his eyes, and he could see and hear clearly. His fangs and claws had receded, and he felt more like himself than he had in only the gods knew how long. When he turned his head, he saw Totosai sitting at his bedside._

_“Oh, thanks be to the gods,” Totosai said immediately, jumping to his feet. “You’re back.” He ran from the room, leaving Inuyasha confused and exhausted._

_When Totosai returned, he had Sesshomaru and a young woman with him. Totosai nodded at the young woman, who approached Inuyasha’s bed cautiously. She glanced up at Totosai; he frowned, and she prayed over Inuyasha for a moment. Inuyasha felt the binds of his seal break apart, and he was able to move again of his own will._

_“Thanks,” he said to the woman, rubbing his hands together. She nodded, and swiftly left the room. Inuyasha turned to Totosai, who was looking at him sympathetically; Sesshomaru, on the other hand, looked nonplussed, his arms crossed over his chest._

_“You were in your full youkai form for five days,” Totosai said apologetically. “We had to seal you until you were back to yourself.”_

_“Five fucking days!” Inuyasha exclaimed. “Why?”_

_“Do you not remember, little brother?” Sesshomaru asked, clearly annoyed._

_Inuyasha reached back in his mind._

_His father…his father was dead._

_“It is clear from the look on your face that you remember,” Sesshomaru said. “The burial is today. Make yourself presentable.” And he left the room, Totosai frowning after him._

_Inuyasha barely made it through the funeral. It was a massive affair; youkai from all over the country—from all over the world—came to pay their respects to the great Inu no Taisho. The cliff where Toga had sealed Ryuukotsusei had a plaque immortalizing him and the great battle. Through it all, Inuyasha stood as though in a daze. His father was dead. His title, his power, his abilities—none of them had been enough to save him._

_Standing there at the youkai graveyard, watching his father’s body be laid to rest, Inuyasha knew that he wanted none of the power or glory that was to be his. If he accepted his role as his father’s heir, he could see the life that was laid out for him: war, and destruction, and a life without true meaning or purpose. A life mapped out for him, not by him. No opportunity to find a person of his own choosing to spend his life with—no opportunity to_ not _find a person, either._

_No. Everything would be planned for him, most likely by his brother, who Inuyasha could already see was slipping right into his role as the new Lord of the West. It was like he didn’t even care that their father was dead. Sesshomaru merely picked up where their father left off._

_And that enraged Inuyasha._

_That night, he and Sesshomaru had a huge fight over Inuyasha’s role in the family. They both said hateful things, but Sesshomaru called Inuyasha a “filthy half-breed” and an “abomination” who was the “bane of their father’s existence and a reminder of the human whore who seduced the Inu no Taisho.” Those were words that would stick with Inuyasha for decades, until he learned the truth about his mother and father. The brothers’ relationship, delicate as it had been before, was now utterly destroyed._

_That night, Inuyasha renounced his title, packed his bags, and left the manor. Only Kagura, Sesshomaru’s intended, and later, his mate, kept in touch. In the end, Inuyasha wouldn’t return to the manor for over a hundred years, and it would be with Kagome in tow._

* * *

Inuyasha sat under the Japanese maple in the park, his long silver hair falling about him, his head in his hands. He hadn’t thought of his father’s death in years. But now he felt like he understood: his father had lost his soulmate. He was reckless in battle, but not because he was a poor leader or poor general.

No, Toga was reckless because he had zero fucks to give. Inuyasha knew: when his mother died, his father lost his will to live. It’s how he would feel if he lost Kagome. His father had merely been waiting for a chance to go out with honor; Ryuukotsusei had offered him that chance.

 _Kagome_ …Inuyasha pulled out his phone and looked at the time.

 _Fuck_. Only forty minutes until 1:00. And his next meeting was far by train; he’d been thoughtless to leave his car at headquarters. Inuyasha rose, shook his head a few times to clear it, and then took off for the train station, praying that he wouldn’t be late.

* * *

Fukugawa was one of Inuyasha’s favorite neighborhoods in all of Tokyo. Quiet, historical, and home to his favorite ramen shop in the whole city.

He couldn’t wait to bring Kagome there someday. But now, he had more pressing issues to attend to.

He was late. _Really_ late.

Why was he always fucking late?

Inuyasha strode into the restaurant, looking around desperately, hoping his appointment hadn’t left. He eyes scanned the room; his nose searched for a familiar scent. At last he detected it—honeysuckle and lemon—and followed it to a small table in the rear of the restaurant.

She looked…different…somehow. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, six months later, but she just didn’t seem like herself.

Then, he realized. No aura. No reiki.

And, she was fucking _pregnant_.

Kikyo looked up from the menu she was quietly reading. “Hello, Inuyasha,” she said softly.

Inuyasha felt the past slam right into him, his breath fading fast from his body. He gripped the edge of the table as he sat himself down, overwhelmed with nostalgia. She was still so beautiful: large, dark, almond eyes; porcelain skin; long, silky, dark brown hair.

But yet, he didn’t feel the same pull he’d felt towards her for all those years. She was beautiful, yes, but her placid beauty held none of the same appeal. Not now that he’d tasted the feisty love of Higurashi Kagome.

And maybe it was because Kagome was his soulmate—maybe it was because he genuinely was hopelessly in love with her—maybe it was something else. But he saw Kikyo now as a beauty, yes, but as a beauty to be admired and respected. Not to be loved.

Not by him, anyway.

“Hello, Kikyo,” he grunted, sliding into the seat opposite her. “Thanks for meeting me.”

She smiled at him over the menu. Once upon a time, that smile would have rocked him to his core; he would have done anything to see that smile. Now? It was simply a smile, from a friend to a friend. Perhaps not even that much.

“It’s no problem,” she replied easily. “You said you wanted to discuss Higurashi Kagome?”

“Yeah,” he said, adjusting himself to the seat uncomfortably.

The waitress came over once Inuyasha was settled. “Do know you what you’d like?” she asked them.

“He just got here,” Kikyo said.

“I’ll have an order of the shoyu with chicken, and one of the miso bowls with pork,” he said. “And an order of takoyaki, and the croquette. And do you take to-go orders?”

“We do,” the waitress replied.

“Then I’ll take another shoyu, this one with pork, the shrimp tempura udon, the chicken katsudon donburi, pan-friend gyoza, and two pork buns,” he added.

The waitress jotted everything down, then turned to Kikyo. “How about you, ma’am?” she asked.

“Just a bowl of the vegetarian shoyu,” she said. “And water.”

“I’ll have ocha,” Inuyasha added.

“Got it,” the waitress replied. She looked at Inuyasha. “I’ll make sure to bring out your to-go order later,” she said.

“Perfect,” answered Inuyasha. “Thanks for that.”

The waitress nodded and left. Kikyo let out a breath.

“Until you texted me, I had forgotten how much you like to come here,” she said. “You didn’t even need to look at a menu.”

“It’s been a while,” Inuyasha told her, “but the staples are always good.”

They sat in silence for several moments; the waitress brought their drinks, and they each sipped on them slowly. Finally, Kikyo spoke again.

“So…what do you want to know about Higurashi-sama?” she said quietly.

Inuyasha took a breath. Here it was.

“Actually, I’m not really here to ask about Higurashi,” Inuyasha said. Kikyo raised her eyebrows at his lack of an honorific. “I’m here to ask about you.”

Kikyo’s eyebrows raised even farther. “Me?”

“You,” he confirmed.

Kikyo took a long breath, preparing herself for his question. “Okay,” she said. “What would you like to know?”

Inuyasha now took a breath. This was it.

“After you found your—your soulmate—” he said “—what happened to your powers?”

Kikyo looked shocked; her large eyes got even wider. “Inuyasha,” she breathed.

“Please, Kikyo,” he begged. “Please. I have to know.”

Kikyo’s face grew dark. “I can’t really…it’s hard to say,” she whispered. She suddenly grew very interested in her hands, which were fiddling on her slightly swollen belly.

“How long?” Inuyasha asked, unable to keep the harshness out of his voice.

“How…how long?” Kikyo repeated blankly. She blinked. “Oh,” she said. “About four months.”

“Congratulations,” said Inuyasha. He wasn’t sure if he meant it or not.

“Inuyasha,” Kiyko whispered again. She paused, still wringing her hands nervously. “You have to understand…”

“It’s okay, Kikyo,” he said suddenly. Kikyo looked up at him, her dark eyes searching his golden ones. “It really is.” _It really fucking was._

“Higurashi-sama is your soulmate,” she guessed. He nodded.

Their waitress delivered the food, and Kikyo used this as an opportunity to stop the conversation. She began delicately eating her ramen, using her spoon to scoop out the vegetables. Inuyasha had forgotten how gentle an eater she was. He chuckled, thinking about how Kagome would have attacked the ramen with gusto.

Inuyasha leaned forward over the shoyu, inhaling the salty scent of the bowl. Fuck, it smelled so good. He used his chopsticks and dug in, slurping up his noodles enthusiastically. Kikyo watched him, amused.

“You always did like your ramen,” she said. “Why did you order so much to go?”

He smiled as he sucked in a particular long noodle. “Higurashi would love this place.”

She smiled. “How long have you known?” she asked him.

“About three days?” he said.

Kikyo laughed. Hard. “Three days, huh?” she said, still overcome with giggles. He nodded. “And you’re already buying her ramen?” She paused, her smile fading. “It took you a lot longer to get me ramen,” she said, a little sadly.

“Actually,” Inuyasha replied, “she bought me ramen first. Before I knew.”

“She was already attached to you,” Kikyo said.

“She was.”

Kikyo paused, sipping her broth thoughtfully. “Why do you want to know about my powers, Inuyasha?”

Inuyasha frowned. “Higurashi wants to keep her school. But she’s afraid of losing her powers. And I need to know…”

“…If being with you means she’ll lose them,” Kikyo finished.

“Yes.”

Kiyko didn’t answer him for a second, focusing instead on her ramen. Inuyasha let her have a moment; he didn’t push her.

Finally, she spoke. “Finding one’s soulmate does not cause one to lose one’s power,” she said carefully.

Inuyasha was quiet; he wanted to let Kikyo finish. But she instead poked at her ramen.

“Kikyo,” he said softly.

She looked up at him; there were tears in her eyes.

“Inuyasha,” she said, leaning forward intensely. Her eyes darted around anxiously.

“Kikyo,” he replied, “what is it?”

She reached her hands forward and grasped his. There was a desperation in her grip.

“Inuyasha,” she whispered. “Protect her.”

“What?” He was confused.

“Protect Higurashi-sama,” she said. “Please.”

Her scent was tinged with salt from her tears and with terror. Inuyasha squeezed her hands comfortingly. He didn’t know what else to do.

“Of course,” he replied. “With my life.”

But Kikyo didn’t look reassured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will Sesshomaru stay true to his desire to continue to "make things right" with his brother? 
> 
> And yet again, what is happening with Kagome? What else could she _possibly_ need protection from? Find out in the next update, and as always, thank you, so very, very much, for reading!


	22. Conflicted Conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While at school, Kagome gets an unwelcome visitor, and later has a necessary heart-to-heart. At Kikyo's insistence, Inuyasha rushes to Kagome's side, and can't quite figure out why his instincts are triggered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! Wherever you are, I hope that you are safe and well. 
> 
> _**Thank you**_ for all the feedback on the previous chapter! I am so glad that you enjoyed the development of Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's relationship, and yes, we'll see Sess again ^_^
> 
> I am so happy to bring you Chapter 22 of Spirited Soulmates! Please enjoy!

Kagome sighed and rubbed her temples. She had a little bit of time between classes, and she was going over the books, trying to figure out how they could continue to pay Kouga to stay on as their manager/muscle. But, after what they’d been through yesterday, she didn’t even know if Kouga would be showing up, or if he would even _want_ to stay on. It was already after 2, and he generally showed up between 2:30 and 3:15, ready to check in the first class at 3:30.

The soft ping of the doorbell caused Kagome to look up from her work. The security system installers were coming Wednesday, so she couldn’t be sure who was entering the building. Kagome rose from the conference table and went to the door, listening, sensing. She didn’t detect any youki, so she decided to go out and see who it was.

Kagome quietly padded into the hallway, her senses alert for anything out of the ordinary.

A tall woman stood at the check-in desk, her arms crossed, her bottom resting against the desktop. She looked impatient, as though she were waiting for someone. Her long gray hair was tied back in a low ponytail; her face was youthful, despite the color of her hair.

“Hello, Kagome-sama,” the woman said in a lilting, musical voice.

Kagome immediately stopped and bowed. “Tsubaki-sama,” she replied respectfully. “This is certainly a surprise.”

Tsubaki bobbed her head in return. “It’s good to see you, Kagome-sama,” the other miko commented. “How long has it been? Almost a year, no?”

“I believe so,” Kagome said. “I meant no disrespect. I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch with the Spiritualist Society. I have been busy, and…”

Tsubaki silenced the younger miko with a wave of her hand. “No matter, Kagome-sama. I am here to talk with you now; that’s what’s important. How have you been?”

Kagome blushed. “Fine, Tsubaki-sama. The school is doing well.”

“So I have heard,” Tsubaki answered, pushing herself to a standing position and beginning to pace slowly around the main entryway. “You and Miroku-sama have developed quite a following here.”

“We rely mostly on word-of-mouth,” Kagome said modestly, “but our numbers have been steadily going up. We are very blessed.”

“That’s great,” Tsubaki complimented her. “You’re offering some new classes here, too.”

“Kaede-sama was kind enough to agree to help us out with a few classes,” Kagome replied. “Now we can offer classes in herbal remedies, as well as scroll creation and translation. That frees up Miroku and I to focus more on offensive and defensive reiki classes. And I started teaching yoga Monday through Thursday in the mornings, too.” She puffed up proudly; she was glad she could brag about their school to the president of the top spiritualist society in the country. Even though Kagome wasn’t interested in doing work for them anymore, she still hoped they would promote the school and offer her and Miroku support.

“It does seem that the gods have smiled upon you favorably, Kagome-sama,” Tsubaki told her. She paused in her paces a meter or so from Kagome, her smile grim and plastered to her face. “Even though you have not agreed to help us with the missing miko cases.”

_Oops_.

“Tsubaki-sama,” Kagome said politely, “I have been busy lending my assistance to the NPA as a consultant on the case. They have needed someone with spiritual powers to examine the victims, and I have been happy to help.”

“And yet you refuse to help your own kind, Kagome-sama.”

“ _Everyone_ is my kind, Tsubaki-sama,” Kagome said gently. “If you know me at all by now, you would know that.”

“Especially when the hanyou detective you are assisting is your soulmate, I suppose?”

Kagome froze. _Fuck_.

How the _fuck_ did she find out?

“I—it is a recent discovery, Tsubaki-sama,” Kagome said simply, hoping to hide her surprise. “We have only known each other a short time.”

Tsubaki stared hard at Kagome, but not necessarily unkindly. “But you have found him, Kagome-sama.”

Kagome pulled herself to her full height, hoping she looked more intimidating than she felt. “So what if I have?”

Tsubaki frowned. “Kagome-sama,” she said, and Kagome detected a hint of apology in her voice. “You know what happens with mikos who find their soulmates.”

Kagome clasped her hands together, her desperation threatening to take control. She tried to tamp it down. “I know what is _supposedly_ true,” she said carefully. “But I have not seen any of those effects thus far. If anything, my power is stronger with Inuyasha’s youki. We complement each other, Tsubaki-sama. We are stronger together.” Kagome flushed at the thought.

Tsubaki’s face flashed red in anger. “Kagome-sama,” she said heatedly, “Once a miko has found her soulmate, she _will_ lose her powers, sooner or later. Make no mistake. It is the gods’ will. Soulmated mikos are the bearers of future generations: nothing more.” Kagome flushed a darker red; Tsubaki paused, as if to collect her thoughts. “What are your intentions with Matsushita-san?” she asked, a trace of kindness in her voice.

“I—I don’t know,” Kagome admitted. “We've only just found each other. I can’t say for sure what will happen. I just know that we’re going to be together, and Matsushita-san supports whatever choices I make with regards to my career.”

“Are you sure about that, Kagome-sama?” Tsubaki teased. “Are you really sure that’s what he would want for you?”

“I—I—” Kagome couldn’t answer that. Because truth be told, she really didn’t know. He said he supported her, yes, but was that really the case?

Tsubaki chuckled. “If I were you, I would clear the air with your soulmate before progressing any further,” she advised. “You expect to marry him soon, do you not?”

“Wait, hold on,” said Kagome hurriedly. “I’m not marrying anyone, soulmate or not, anytime in the near future. We just met! We just discovered we’re soulmates! How can we even talk about marriage?”

“Your friends, the Murasakis,” Tsubaki countered, “how long were they together?”

Kagome thought back. “They got married when Sango was eighteen. So…three years?”

“They were young,” Tsubaki said, “they needed to wait. You, though, are not, my dear. You are almost thirty, correct?”

“Ugh, I’m not _old_ , Tsubaki-sama,” Kagome snorted. “Inuyasha and I have plenty of time.”

Tsubaki paused. “Yes,” she reasoned, “but perhaps the gods wish you to get married sooner.”

Kagome stilled. “What does that mean?”

Tsubaki began to pace the length of the entrance room. “You have done a great deal for both youkai and spiritualists, Kagome-sama,” mused Tsubaki. “Maybe it is time for you to retire, and let someone else—someone _younger_ , perhaps—take up the mantle.”

“Like hell it is,” Kagome shot back. “This is my school. It’s my livelihood. And if I have to give up my soulmate to keep it, then that’s what I’ll do.”

“I’m sure he will appreciate hearing that, won’t you, Matsushita-san?” said Tsubaki, turning to the doorway. Kagome followed her gaze.

Inuyasha was standing in the entrance, a bag in his hand, confusion clear in his amber eyes. “Higurashi?” he choked out. “I brought takeout from my lunch.”

Kagome’s face fell. Tsubaki laughed. “We’ll be in touch, Kagome-sama,” she said, stepping past Inuyasha to push the front door open. “I expect you and your soulmate have much to discuss.”

Kagome bowed feebly. “Tsubaki-sama…” she whispered, then dropped to her knees, the tears coming fast and furious.

Inuyasha dropped the bag of takeout and rushed to her side. “Higurashi,” he said urgently. “Are you okay? Who was that?”

Kagome took a deep breath. “That was Tsubasa Tsubaki,” she murmured. “The President of the Spiritualist Society.”

“Why was she here in the middle of the afternoon?” asked Inuyasha, trying to keep the worry out of his voice. He rubbed Kagome’s back comfortingly.

“I don’t know,” Kagome whispered. “But I think—I think something’s wrong.” She closed her eyes and dropped her head into her hands, tears streaming over them, dripping off the backs of her hands.

Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her. “Nothing’s wrong,” he said soothingly. “I’m here. Everything is going to be okay.”

Kagome allowed herself a brief moment of respite in his arms, then turned slightly to face him. “Why _are_ you here, anyway?”

Inuyasha blushed. “I got takeout from the place I had lunch today. I was gonna save it for dinner, but my lunch date suggested you needed protection.”

“What? From who? Who was your lunch date?” Now Kagome was thoroughly confused.

Inuyasha held her closer, and buried his face in her hair. “Kikyo,” he murmured. “I had lunch with Kikyo.”

* * *

Well, that was definitely _not_ the answer Kagome was expecting.

Nope, when Inuyasha burst into the school foyer, effectively kicking Tsubaki-sama out, the last thing Kagome had expected him to say was that _Kikyo_ was the one who sent him running over there.

But it was, and here he was, stroking her hair so sweetly and whispering words of love and endearment so softly, trying to comfort her, even though she had just said (in the heat of the moment, granted, but _still_ ) she would give him up to keep her school and her powers.

Yet Kagome, for what it was worth, let him provide her that comfort. Tsubaki-sama’s aura had been dark and threatening, and Kagome had been more than a little intimidated. But more importantly, she was completely _confused_ by what Tsubaki-sama had said. Asking probing questions about her relationship with Inuyasha, asking when they planned to get married, trying to rush things along…it all seemed like Tsubaki-sama couldn’t wait for Kagome to marry. But _why?_

She couldn’t figure out _what_ had just happened.

“Inuyasha,” Kagome murmured into his chest. He was completely wrapped around her, protecting her from the outside world.

“What is it, Higurashi?” His voice rumbled pleasantly through his chest, and Kagome shivered.

“What are your…intentions with me?” Kagome asked slowly.

Inuyasha stopped stroking her hair.

“My…intentions?” Once again, his voice and face relayed his confusion.

Kagome sighed and snuggled in closer to him. She _really_ didn’t want to have this conversation with him now, not with Kouga possibly showing up at any moment, but she needed to know if she was going to have peace of mind for her classes.

“Do you want to marry me?” Her voice was small, and hesitant.

“Ummm…” _Fuck, fuck, fuck_. How to answer that?

Inuyasha could feel Kagome growing small at his lack of an answer; he couldn’t see her face, but he did scent her tears. “Higurashi,” he said urgently, nuzzling her hair. “Why do you want talk about marriage, all of a sudden?” He paused. “What did that woman say to you?” he asked, his senses now tingling. He was hyper-aware that Kikyo had sent him here for a reason, and he needed to know why.

“Tsubaki-sama,” Kagome whispered, “she suggested that maybe you wouldn’t want me to work anymore.”

“That’s fucking insane!” he bellowed, unable to control his youki in that moment. It flashed out around them both, mirroring his anger. When she squeaked, he relaxed his grip on her in an effort to be more comforting. “I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “I didn’t mean…I just…I would _never_ make you do something you didn’t want to do. We talked about this, Higurashi. This school means everything to you. I know that. I want you to be happy.” He tilted her face up and kissed her beautiful, tear-stained face. “I just want _you_ , just as you are.”

“Inuyasha,” she murmured, feeling herself wilt against the pressure from his lips. He scented a spike in her arousal and stroked her hair.

“Not here, koishii,” he whispered, pulling back. Kagome whined at the loss of contact and he chuckled. “Now.” He rose, lifting her easily along with him. “Go to the bathroom and wash your face. I’ll keep an eye on things out here.”

“What about Kikyo?” she asked softly, not quite meeting his gaze.

He shifted uncomfortably. “It’s—nothing for you to worry about. _I promise_ ,” he added when she opened her mouth to protest. “I’ll tell you everything tonight. Here.” He opened the bag of takeout and removed the box of gyoza. “A treat to tide you over until I can feed you properly.”

Kagome opened the box and her face lit up. “You’re too good to me, you know,” she said, grabbing one from the box and devouring it.

Inuyasha leaned forward and kissed her, greasy lips and all. “I know,” he told her. “Go get cleaned up.”

She offered him a wan smile and went into the back to wash her face in the bathroom.

Inuyasha sagged against the desk and sighed. He was sure that Kikyo told him to protect Kagome for a reason. All his instincts were pointing to that Tsubasa Tsubaki woman as the reason behind Kikyo’s request. But Tsubasa was a miko, and didn’t have any dark energy coming off her. She was intimidating, yes, and powerful, yes…but there was no jyaki. He would have to query Kagome later. But, he hated having these kinds of conversations with her at home, when all he wanted to do was kiss her and love her and lavish her with attention.

But they had a lot to discuss. Inuyasha needed to talk with her about what he learned from Sesshomaru. He had to know her thoughts on mating. Because honestly, if she didn’t want to be mated, he didn’t know what he was gonna do.

Inuyasha was then vaguely aware of an approaching youki, and had enough sense to stop his train of thought and pull himself to a standing position.

Oh, _fuck_.

“You,” Kouga said, striding through the glass doors of the school.

“Me,” Inuyasha replied simply.

“Don’t you have a job? Why are you here?” Kouga hissed.

“I am doing my fucking job, wolf,” growled Inuyasha. “I was…oh, you know what? Fuck it; nevermind.” He crossed his arms and turned away.

“Did something happen here?” Kouga asked, his voice low. “Is Kagome okay?”

Inuyasha turned back to the Lord of the East. “Oh, so you’re worried about her now, huh?” He couldn’t help needling the wolf.

Kouga frowned. “You fucking know I am, you stupid mutt,” he growled. “Now do you wanna tell me what’s going on?”

Inuyasha paused and listened for Kagome. She was still in the bathroom. “Fine,” he said, “but only because if something happens while I’m gone, I need you to call me. Immediately.”

Kouga’s eyebrows raised; he looked concerned.

“Today, someone named Tsubasa Tsubaki was here from the Spiritualist Society,” Inuyasha said quietly. Kouga nodded; he remembered her from the Human-Youkai Treaty negotiations. “I’m not sure why, but she got Higurashi really rattled. Said a whole bunch of nonsense about us being together, and suggested that I wouldn’t want Higurashi to work. _Which is of course not true_ ,” Inuyasha added fiercely when Kouga’s lips pulled back in a snarl. “But the whole thing got Higurashi really upset. She’s in the bathroom getting cleaned up.”

“What do you need me to do?” At least Kouga’s hatred of Inuyasha didn’t extend to Kagome. Inuyasha was grateful for that.

“Keep an eye on her today,” Inuyasha said. “If anyone from that fucking society comes back, call me immediately. I’ve got to go back to headquarters and make some phone calls. Tell Higurashi I’ll be back at 8 tonight, not 8:30.” He stopped for a second. “Can you stay until then?”

Kouga nodded. “You’re a rat bastard, but yeah. I’ll stay. And I’ll call you if anyone shows up.”

Inuyasha gave him a brief nod. “Thanks.” He pulled out his phone and looked at the time. “I need to go. The Metro PD hasn’t still been giving you shit, have they?”

“Nah,” Kouga said, going behind the desk and sitting down, “Murasaki put an end to that yesterday.” He stretched out his arms and folded his hands behind his head.

“Good. Let me know if they do. That little runt Shippo is a pain in the ass.” He waved. “See ya, Kouga.”

“Inuyasha.” Inuyasha paused, his hand on the door handle. “You’re not gonna stick around to say goodbye?”

Inuyasha’s breath hitched. “She—she wants to talk to you. I don’t want to make things awkward. I’ll see ya around.”

Kouga watched him go, both confused and in awe of the mutt’s calm demeanor. If it had been him, he would have _never_ left Kagome alone with a guy who was in love with her. And yet, Inuyasha had.

And that was how Kouga truly knew he would never, _ever_ , stand a chance. Not even if the mutt was dead.

“Kouga?” Kagome said, coming down the hallway. She had changed into her miko robes for her 3:30 class.

Kouga frowned. “Hey, Kagome,” he said to her, now crossing his arms over his chest and pushing the chair back.

Kagome smiled gently and perched on the edge of the desk. “I’m glad you’re here,” she said softly. “Was that Inuyasha leaving just now?”

Kouga’s frown deepened at her worried face. “He said he had some things to do and would see you at 8 tonight.” He held his breath as she sighed and stared at the door longingly.

“I think he left to give us some space, ‘Gome,” Kouga said carefully.

Kagome hummed an affirmative. “I figured as much,” she answered. “We need to talk.”

Kouga looked at the time on his phone. “It’s almost 3 now. Do we have time?”

Kagome leaned forward and took his hands in hers. “Kouga,” said Kagome passionately, “I’m so, so, so sorry if you feel like I’ve hurt you. That wasn’t my intention. I never thought…”

“I know,” Kouga replied flatly. “You never thought you’d find your soulmate.”

“But I still should have been more explicitly clear and explained to you exactly why we couldn’t be together, and how I knew you and I weren’t soulmates,” Kagome continued over him. “I shouldn’t have given you any false hope. Instead I was vague as to why we couldn’t be together.”

“You really weren’t though,” Kouga said, squeezing her hands. “You didn’t give me any kind of hope at all. I just—it was my own stupid thinking that got us here. I thought it would be enough for me—for us to just be friends, and for us each to be unattached. I never thought about you actually finding your soulmate. I just…I just didn’t think it would ever happen.” He paused. “Actually,” he added, “I just never really thought about it at all.” He hung his head. “I’m sorry, Kagome.”

He looked up when he scented her tears. Her face was shining; she was quietly weeping.

“Kagome,” Kouga said in a rough voice.

“I’m sorry,” she said, and climbed over the desk to hug him tightly, his arms automatically wrapping around her.

Kouga’s breath caught. He’d wanted to hold her like this, so many times, and now…now she wasn’t his to hold anymore. She wanted to touch him not out of love, but out of friendship and pity. And he couldn’t take it.

Slowly, he pushed her away.

“Kouga,” she breathed.

“We’re good,” he said abruptly, trying not to wince at the hurt look in her eyes. “I promise. You need to pull yourself together. Your students will be here any minute.”

“You’re right,” she whispered. And she slipped off the desk and down the hall.

Kouga dropped his head onto the desk and sighed, fighting back tears of his own. He heard the door open and pushed himself back into an upright seated position, a forced smile on his face.

“Welcome to Gakkou no Shiroi Eiki,” he said with as much enthusiasm as he could muster. “Please sign in and wait in the lobby for Higurashi-sensei. She’ll be out soon.”

* * *

Miroku was worried. He’d never seen Kouga look so downtrodden. He knew from Sango that, true to her word, Kagome had _finally_ told Inuyasha that they were soulmates, that they had consummated their relationship soon after…and then that Kouga had shown up.

When he and Kaede arrived at the school with the girls, he was astonished to see Kouga sitting at the desk, head in his hand, simply pushing the sign-in sheet at each parent who came in. Normally he was bouncy and enthusiastic about the school and the classes, but he was clearly hurt by the loss of Kagome. A loss of something that was never truly his to begin with, true, but still, a loss that had to be honored.

“Kouga,” said Miroku, signing in the girls and shooing them down the hall, “why don’t you go home after this? We’ll be fine here.”

Kouga shook his head. “No way, monk. I’ve got a duty to protect the school, and I’m gonna honor that. I wouldn’t leave you guys right now, anyway.”

“I’m going to go get changed,” Kaede said to Miroku. He nodded, and she padded down the hall to one of the offices.

“If you need some time, Kouga,” Miroku continued, “no one would blame you.”

“And if someone went missing or got hurt because I wasn’t here, I would blame myself,” the wolf shot back. Miroku fell silent, wishing he could offer something, _anything_ , to comfort the man.

“I’m really okay,” Kouga insisted. “I just need time.”

Miroku clapped a hand on the ookami’s shoulder. “If you feel like skipping out early, just let me know. We can manage for one night.”

Kouga looked up at Miroku, his normally blazing blue eyes dull, but appreciative. “Thanks.”

* * *

Kaede was surprised to find Kagome still in the office, staring at herself in the mirror they kept in there for changing purposes. She was running her hands through her hair, trying to tame it into a ponytail.

“Kagome?” Kaede said tentatively. “Are you all right? You have class in five minutes.”

Kagome snapped her head around at the sound of Kaede’s voice. “Kaede-obaa-chan?” she whispered.

“Kagome?” asked Kaede. “What’s happened?”

Kagome sank to her knees and burst into tears again. Kaede dropped to her side as quickly as she could, patting Kagome’s shoulder awkwardly. “Kaede-obaa-chan,” she sobbed, “I’m so afraid.”

“Afraid? Of what?” Kaede scoffed. “You’re Higurashi Kagome. You’re not afraid of anything.”

“I am,” Kagome sobbed harder. “I’m afraid of losing everything.”

Kaede now hugged the younger woman to her. “Nonsense,” she said. “You’re not going to lose a damn thing.” Kagome looked at her mentor. “Miroku told me everything,” Kaede said.

“But Inuyasha went to see Kikyo-sama,” Kagome began hurriedly, “today. They used to date,” she added at Kaede’s surprised face. “And she was apparently worried about me. And then Tsubaki-sama was here today,” Kagome’s voice was getting more and more frantic. “And she said—"

“Who cares what that old bag thinks?” Kaede demanded. “Are you happy?”

“What?” Kagome blinked.

“Happy, my dear.” Kaede was now clearly enunciating her words. “Are. You. Happy?”

“I am,” Kagome said in a soft voice.

“Then fight to keep it all,” Kaede assured her. “Keep the school, keep Matsushita-san, keep your powers. If you fight, you’ll win. I’m sure of it. And if he loves you, Matsushita-san will help you fight.” She smiled gently. “Don’t worry, child.” She rose and held out a hand to Kagome to pull her former student to her feet. “Go teach your class. We’ll talk more later, before we go home tonight.”

“Okay, Kaede-obaa-chan,” Kagome said hesitantly, “I will.”

As Kagome rubbed her face and left the room, Kaede leaned against the round conference table. _So Tsubaki was here already_ , she thought. _Just what is that woman planning_?

Whatever it was, Kaede would be damned if she let Tsubaki have her way with Kagome.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gakkou no Shiroi Eiki: School of the White Spirit
> 
> Why has Tsubaki possibly come to see Kagome? What is she after? Whatever it is, Kaede is NOT having it.
> 
> In the next update: Inuyasha takes Kagome home!
> 
> As always, thanks SO MUCH for reading, and see you soon! <3


	23. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome and Kaede finally talk about Tsubasa Tsubaki, as do Inuyasha and MIroku. Inuyasha takes Kagome home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you're safe and doing well.
> 
> As always, thank you SO MUCH for all your comments on the previous chapter. I really appreciate reading your thoughts on the story--they help me so much in terms of plotting out narrative and potential character development. So many of you commented on Kouga's growth, and I agree! It's been a lot of fun to write this Kouga, and I promise you haven't seen the end of him.
> 
> In this chapter, lots of conversations: Kagome and Kaede chat, as do Inuyasha and Miroku. And later, Inuyasha takes Kagome to his apartment, where they enjoy lots of InuKag fluffy domestic time. 
> 
> Please enjoy! <3

Although Kagome loved her Friday night healing class, her favorite class by far was her Monday night reiki manipulation class. Like her healing class, the students were all older—this year, she had mostly third-year high school students, the majority of whom were preparing for their college entrance exams. Some of them were planning to go on to study reiki in college, which thrilled their young, accomplished sensei. It had been a tough decision for Kagome herself to choose to study reiki, but in the end she was glad she did it. Several of her students even wanted to become healers.

That night they were working on creating one of Kagome’s specialties: little columns of light that rested in the palm of one’s hand, that one could then use to make different shapes and that could serve different purposes. Specifically, they were working on using the column to create a light source, one where they could raise and lower the level of brightness, and even, once they got good at that, change the color.

The small dojo where Kagome held her classes was dark; her students—fifteen in all—were sitting cross-legged on the tatami, holding out their non-dominant hand, eyes closed, drawing on their powers to create their reiki light columns. The students were all in different stages at this point: some had a complete, full column; some had a very thin, or still hazy, column; and some had just the smallest hint of light radiating from their palms. Kagome smiled. It didn’t matter what stage her students were at; all that mattered was that they were trying. She remembered her own frustrations with creating her column of light, and she grimaced. This was the one thing she never thought she’d be able to do, and yet, just two days ago, she’d managed to blast a hole through her apartment ceiling—which she still had not managed to fix. And now she might not have a chance to do that, since she was moving in with Inuyasha for the time being.

Kagome frowned and tried to keep her attention on her students, not on the handsome hanyou who would be waiting for her when she got out of class. She was still not super happy about the new living arrangements, but she totally understood why they had to make this change. She also didn’t really want whoever had come to the school on Friday night to know her schedule and be able to easily follow her around. And as much as she tried to deny it, she wanted to be with Inuyasha, all the time. She wanted to laze about with him, massaging his ears, drinking beer, maybe doing a little more…

“Higurashi-sensei?” said a tentative voice from the middle of the room. “Are you okay?”

Kagome jumped and realized with a start that she was glowing a deep, dusky rose from her desire for her soulmate. “I’m—I’m fine, Nomura-kun,” she answered abruptly. “Just admiring all the good work that you’re doing.”

The student, Nomura-kun—a pretty third-year high school student with a talent for making barriers—frowned at Kagome. “Are you sure?” she asked suspiciously. “You seemed like you were really—”

“How is everyone doing?” Kagome interrupted, unsure of where Nomura’s statement would lead, but quite sure she didn’t want the girl to finish it. “Keep working; I’m going to circulate.”

Kagome rose and started moving among her students, giving gentle guidance along the way. For students who were struggling, she led them through a series of visualization techniques to help them relax and refocus their reiki. For several students, this worked well; for one, a first-year high school student named Kurokawa, she knew that she’d have to offer him additional private lessons to figure out where exactly his struggles lay.

“You’re all doing great,” Kagome said at last, coming back to the front of the room. She held out her right hand and called forth her own column of light. The students watched, fascinated, as it rose half a meter from her hand and shone a bright light throughout the room.

“Now,” she continued, “once you have your column of light made, it’s time to try and add color to it. Think of this as your own special color changing light bulb.” She smiled, and closed her eyes; there was an audible gasp in the room as the column of light in her hand changed from pink, to red, to orange, and through the rest of the colors of the rainbow. When it turned back to pink again, the students burst into applause.

“Thanks, everyone,” she said sheepishly. “Let’s see you all try that. I want you to think of the color that’s closest to your natural reiki. For me, I started going from pink to red. Just retreat into your subconscious, and imagine your reiki—however it normally appears to you when you are in a meditative state. Then, start to infuse it with a new color. So Sugawara-kun,” she added, turning to the young man who was also in her Friday night healing class, “your reiki is normally a light green. So try for yellow, or maybe a turquoise. Whatever you think you’ll be able to envision more easily.” He nodded, grinning at her; she paused. “The goal tonight isn’t to create a full switch in your reiki’s power,” she continued. “Rather, it’s to begin the process of making the change. So a green reiki may turn more turquoise, or a purple reiki might turn slightly red or pink. That’s okay. We’ll be working on this for a few weeks, so I want you to take your time and not push yourself too much. Now, let’s see what you can do.”

Once again, Kagome walked around the room, carefully watching as her students tried to change the color of their reiki. Some were more successful than others, which again, she totally expected; Nomura in particular was able to shift the color of her reiki from orange to a vibrant yellow. Some of the others were just beginning to make the change; even Kurokawa, who couldn’t make a column of light, had a bit of shifting color on his palm.

Out front, Kagome heard the doorbell ding. She stood up nervously and cocked her ear, listening. She smiled when she felt the familiar comfort of Inuyasha’s youki billowing down the hall towards her.

“Higurashi-sensei?” Nomura asked. “Is everything okay?”

“Do you need me to go out there?” Sugawara asked.

Kagome smiled. “Everything’s fine,” she assured them. “Our night patrol is here.”

“That hanyou from Friday?” Sugawara said, wrinkling his nose.

“That  _ hanyou _ is a detective with the NPA, and one of the leads on the missing miko case,” Kagome chastised him gently. “You would do well to give him your respect.”

The students were quiet; Kagome checked the time. Almost time to go.

“Right,” she said, clapping her hands to get their attention, “time for our savasana. You worked really hard tonight, and need to rest and recover. I’ll walk you through your relaxation, and then give you five minutes of meditative space.”

The students grumbled slightly, but all laid down on the tatami. “It’s important,” Kagome emphasized. “You don’t realize how much power you expend during classtime.” She laughed slightly. “I speak from experience on this one—I’m giving you the chance for self-care. You should take it. Now, close your eyes, and let’s work on relaxing our bodies, one part at a time…”

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Kagome’s class filed demurely out of the tatami-mat dojo, Kagome walking alongside her students. She was pleased with how well they had done that day, especially Nomura. In fact…

“Nomura-kun,” Kagome said to her student, “who is picking you up tonight?”

“My mother,” Nomura replied, “although I don’t see her just yet.”

“Hang out for a minute, please,” Kagome said. “I’d like to talk with you both, if that’s okay.”

Nomura nodded. “I’ll collect my things while I wait.”

Kagome went through the crowd, talking with the students and their parents. It was important to her that she get to know the families of her students, especially so she could advise them on decisions regarding future schooling. Her students who wished to study reiki, for instance, should apply to schools with strong programs in their strengths. In fact, that’s what she hoped to talk with Nomura about that night.

Kagome caught Inuyasha’s eye and smiled. He offered a lopsided, fanged grin in response, then went back to signing students out, his NPA badge on prominent display. Kagome noticed he wasn’t wearing his holster, and felt wildly relieved. She didn’t love the idea of a firearm in a school of peace.

Nomura’s mother finally showed up, and Kagome pulled mother and daughter aside to chat about Nomura’s future for a bit. Nomura showed great promise, Kagome told them both, and said that Nomura should consider applying to Tokyo University, especially because of their programs in Reiki Manipulation and Defensive Reiki. Nomura’s mother’s eyes grew wide when Kagome suggested Nomura could even get a scholarship, and she smiled at her daughter.

“We should also consider private lessons, once you get closer to entrance exams,” Kagome told her student. “Just to get in some extra practice. I know those programs are looking for, and I can really help you hone your skills in just the right way.”

Nomura’s mother elbowed her, and Nomura bowed. “Thank you, Higurashi-sensei,” she said. “I look forward to your continued guidance.”

Kagome laughed. “You’re going to be great, Nomura-kun,” she replied. “And I’ll be able to say I was there at the beginning.”

Nomura and her mother were the last ones to leave; finally, she and Inuyasha were nearly alone. Kagome locked the door after them.

“No one else here, Higurashi?” Inuyasha asked her from his place behind the desk.

“Kaede and Miroku are finishing up going over the books,” she replied. “We can go check in with them.” She frowned. “Kaede said she wanted to talk with me before we left tonight,” she added. “I wonder what that could be about?”

“Only one way to find out,” Inuyasha replied, leaning his hands on the desk and pulling himself to standing. “Let’s go talk to her.”

Kagome reached out her hand instinctively as Inuyasha came close; he took it and brought it up to his cheek, nuzzling it gently with his nose. She could tell he was inhaling her scent.

“You know, it hasn’t been that long since you’ve seen me,” she commented lightly as they went down the hall to the office.

He frowned. “I don’t like where we left things, Higurashi,” he said roughly.

“We’ll talk later,” Kagome promised. She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek outside the office door. He growled.

“Ya had to do that now, huh?” he teased her. She smiled and opened the door.

Miroku and Kaede were huddled together at the table, reviewing the books. They looked up as Inuyasha and Kagome entered. Miroku greeted his friends with a wide smile; Kaede, though, was frowning.

“Matsushita Inuyasha,” Kagome said formally, trying not to freak out about Kaede’s frown, “this is Chie Kaede, my former mentor and our herbs and scrolls instructor. Kaede-obaa-chan, this is Matsushita Inuyasha, Detective at the National Police Agency, and my—my soulmate.”

Inuyasha bowed low at the waist. “It is a pleasure, Chie-sama,” he said in his low, rumbly voice. Kaede flushed and nodded a greeting.

“Kagome,” she said as Inuyasha rose back to standing, “I had hoped we could talk in private.”

“That’s fine, Kaede-sama,” Miroku said, rising from his own seat and offering it to Kagome. “Matsushita and I have a few things to discuss, anyway.” He went to leave the office, tugging Inuyasha by the sleeve after him. Inuyasha growled and shot a look at Kagome; she shrugged and smiled encouragingly.

“Call me if you need me, Higurashi,” he grumbled, and her smile became brighter. He felt his knees go weak and was suddenly glad for the tightness of the monk’s grasp.

When they were gone, Kagome turned to face Kaede. “So…”

“Now then, where did we leave off this afternoon?” Kaede asked briskly. “Tsubaki was here today, correct?” Kaede raised her voice at the end of her statement, but they both knew it wasn’t really a question.

“Before we talk about that, Kaede-obaa-chan,” said Kagome softly, “there’s something that I need to tell you.”

Kaede said nothing, but raised her eyebrows.

“Yesterday,” Kagome went on, “Sango and I went to NPA headquarters to examine one of the mikos who had been kidnapped. She turned up at the White Wolf—at Kouga’s place. She…she was not alive.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Kagome,” Kaede said quietly. “You have been working hard in your role with the NPA.”

“No, wait, Kaede,” said Kagome hurriedly, “there’s more.” When Kaede looked at her expectantly, she continued. “Kaede-obaa-chan, it was Junoichi-sensei.”

Kaede’s face fell. “Are you sure, Kagome?” she asked. Kagome nodded. Kaede took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. “Then,” she said, “that’s that.”

“Kaede-obaa-chan?” Kagome queried.

Kaede was quiet for a long time. Kagome reached out and caressed her mentor’s arm. Kaede rested her hand over Kagome’s.

“Thank you, Kagome,” Kaede said at last. “Thank you, for telling me, and for being here.”

“What do you need, Kaede-obaa-chan?” Kagome asked. “What can I do for you?”

Kaede paused. “You can tell me what happened with Tsubaki, Kagome,” she replied.

“Kaede-obaa—”

“No,” Kaede said fiercely, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. “We can mourn Mai by you telling me about Tsubaki. It’s what she would want.” Kaede ignored Kagome’s confused face and plowed ahead. “When was she here, Kagome?”

Kagome wanted desperately to fight Kaede on this, but she acquiesced. For now. “This afternoon,” she replied.

“And what did she want?”

Kagome frowned. “I—I’m not sure. She asked about Inuyasha’s intentions, and said that I would be giving up my powers. She seemed very anxious for me to get married.”

Kaede’s face was dark with anger, sadness, and pain. “Of course, she is anxious,” Kaede replied in a strained voice. “She is anxious for every miko who finds their soulmate to settle down.”

“But why?” Kagome exclaimed.

“Don’t you know?” Kaede demanded. Kagome’s eyes filled with confusion and concern. Kaede softened. “Of course you don’t, child. How could you know?” She frowned. “Nakaya Kikyo was the last miko to be soulmated. Maybe you should talk to her?”

Kagome felt her heart freeze. “Kikyo? Like, Inuyasha’s Kikyo?”

“Not Inuyasha’s anymore,” Kaede reminded her gently. “He is yours; you belong to each other.”

“So then  _ why _ ?” Kagome exclaimed.

“Tsubasa Tsubaki has very clear ideas about the role of mated mikos in society,” Kaede told her. “Or rather, the  _ absence _ of roles for mated mikos.”

“But  _ why _ ?” Kagome insisted.

Kaede frowned. “Perhaps you should ask Kikyo-sama,” she said again. “She was willing to talk to Matsushita-san; she might be willing to talk to you.” Kagome opened her mouth to question Kaede more, but the older miko began gathering up her belongings, as though the conversation was over. Kagome frowned, but grabbed her duffel bag and went into the changing room.

“I’ll be out in a minute,” Kagome told her mentor. Kaede nodded, but paused in her action.

“Kagome,” Kaede said in a firm voice, grabbing Kagome’s attention. “Tsubasa Tsubaki is no longer your friend. You would do well to remember that.”

Kagome nodded. “Yes, Kaede-obaa-chan,” she said softly.

Kaede offered Kagome a grim smile as Kagome left for the changing room, her own thoughts questioning the fate that awaited her former student.

* * *

Inuyasha and Miroku lounged around the main lobby, waiting for Kagome and Kaede to finish their talk. Inuyasha regarded the monk with interest; he had been soulmated to Sango for nearly fifteen years, and his insights could be valuable as Inuyasha tried to decide the best way to move forward in his very new, very sudden, very intense relationship.

“I don’t believe I’ve offered you my congratulations yet, friend,” Miroku said casually, leaning back in the desk chair and clasping his hands behind his head.

Inuyasha grunted. “Nothing to congratulate yet, bouzo,” Inuyasha replied gruffly. “She’s terrified of what this will mean for her career.”

Miroku frowned. “Yes, well, there is that to consider,” he mused.

Inuyasha growled. “It’s not the only thing, Murasaki,” he retorted. “She’s  _ human _ .”

“So?”

“How long do humans live?” Miroku stared at him, confused. “How long do youkai live, dammit!”

_ Now _ Miroku got it. “There’s nothing you can do?”

Inuyasha grumbled and leaned against the wall. “I could mate her,” he said in a low voice.

“I’m sorry,” Miroku commented, “but  _ mate _ her?”

“It’s a youkai ritual,” replied Inuyasha. “I talked with my damn brother about it this morning. He did it with his mate, and it extended her life span to match his—Kagura-onee-san is a wind youkai,” he added when he saw surprise on Miroku’s face. “They don’t live as long as inu youkai.”

“How long  _ will _ you live, Matsushita?” Miroku asked.

Inuyasha shrugged. “I’m a hanyou, so a thousand years, thereabouts? Not sure. Inu youkai have some of the longest life spans of all youkai, and our bloodline is royal. My brother is around four hundred years old. I’m about two hundred.” Miroku gaped. He knew Inuyasha had lived for many years, but he hadn’t anticipated that he’d been alive  _ that _ long.

“You don’t look at day over fifty,” Miroku teased him.

“Keh,” replied Inuyasha, “youkai don’t worry about things like aging, until we need to.”

“So then Kagome’s life span…”

“Needs to match mine,” Inuyasha finished. “And my bastard half-brother thinks that it will if I mate her.”

“What will that look like?” Miroku wondered.

Inuyasha blushed. “It’s a ritual,” was all he would say, and suddenly became very interested in his jeans pockets.

“Can I ask you something, Murasaki?” he said after a moment.

“Sure.”

Inuyasha took a breath. “A woman named Tsubaki was here this afternoon. Rattled Higurashi something fierce. Told her that she would lose her powers. Was also very interested in our relationship, when we planned to get married, and suggested that I might not be happy with her continuing to work—which is absolutely not true,” he added hotly for the second time that day.

Miroku frowned. “Tsubasa Tsubaki is the president of the Japan Spiritual Society,” he said. “I’m not sure why she’d want to come see Kagome and upset her so much.”

“Well, she did,” Inuyasha said. “If I hadn’t shown up when I did, who knows what would have happened.”

“Wait,” Miroku said suddenly, “why were you there?” He paused. “I know you have work and are super busy with your caseload, so how…?”

“I had a lunch date with Nakaya Kikyo,” he said flatly. “Or, whatever her married name is now.” Miroku’s eyebrows raised slightly. “I—I dated her, up until she met her soulmate,” Inuyasha finished lamely.

Miroku’s sharp intake of breath revealed more than the measured tone with which he spoke. “And you met with her now…?”

“I needed to talk to someone about Higurashi,” Inuyasha replied. “Another miko—or at least, a former miko. She met her soulmate, got married, and now is pregnant.”

“So what could Nakaya-sama help you with regarding Kagome?” Miroku asked.

“It’s simple,” answered Inuyasha. “What happens when a miko has sex with someone who isn’t her soulmate?”

“She loses her powers,” Miroku said.

“And that’s confirmed?” Inuyasha asked.

“So far as I know, yes,” replied Miroku. “There are enough documented cases to make that conclusion concrete.”

“Okay,” Inuyasha said, his mind whirling. “What about when a miko has sex with her soulmate?”

Miroku was silent.

“Miroku?” Inuyasha insisted.

“Shut up a minute,” Miroku said irritably, “I’m thinking.”

Inuyasha growled, but watched as Miroku rose to standing and began to pace about the room, his bare feet making soft padded sounds on the tatami.

“Inuyasha.” Inuyasha’s head snapped at the sound of his given name. He saw Miroku standing in the middle of the room, the thumb and forefinger of the monk’s left hand rubbing his temples vigorously. “What did Nakaya-sama say to you, exactly, that caused you to come here and catch Tsubasa-sama with Kagome?”

“She said I needed to protect her.” Inuyasha’s voice was hard.

“But you knew this,” Miroku insisted. “So why did you feel compelled to come here in the middle of the day? You could have called. You could have waited until tonight. So why in the middle of the afternoon?”

“I don’t fucking know, Miroku,” snapped Inuyasha, using the monk’s given name in his frustration. “Kikyo just seemed so…fuck, I don’t know…so desperate for me to protect Higurashi. I don’t ever remember seeing her look like that before. It just made me want to get the fuck out of there and get over here as fast as I could.”

“And when you got here, Tsubasa-sama was with Kagome,” Miroku finished. Inuyasha nodded.

Miroku let out a long, shuddering sigh. “Inuyasha,” he said soberly, looking at the hanyou with a long, thoughtful gaze, “I’ll check in my books tonight, but I cannot recall any confirmed cases to my knowledge where sex with a soulmate causes a miko to lose her powers.” He paused. “In fact, I cannot recall any confirmed cases where  _ marriage _ results in a miko losing her abilities. It just seems to…happen. But none of the women report it happening. It’s like they drop off the face of the earth, from a spiritualist perspective. The story is that they retire and move on to raising the next generation of spiritualists, and are happy to do so. But, this message comes from the spiritualist societies—we don’t hear anything from the mikos themselves once they find their mates and marry. Hells, some of my students probably have miko mothers, but I wouldn’t know. Only the fathers with spiritual powers have a signature I can detect.” He sighed and rubbed his temples harder. “Inuyasha,” he said at last, “you have to talk to Nakaya-sama again. See what she knows.”

“Because Kagome might be in more fucking danger than we thought.” Miroku nodded. Inuyasha whipped out his phone to send a text.

_ Thanks for meeting me today. It was good to see you. Do you have time to talk again more tomorrow? _

Inuyasha looked up at Miroku. “We’ll wait and see what she says.” His ears swiveled towards the back of the building. “They’re coming,” he said.

“So do you think you might be willing to visit my physical defense class and be a guest lecturer sometime?” Miroku asked easily, filling the tension with idle chat.

“I think that would be fun,” Inuyasha replied, cracking his claws as Kagome and Kaede came into the entry hall. “I’ll try to go easy on your students.”

Kagome smiled. “You’re going to guest lecture in Miroku’s class?”

Inuyasha and Miroku exchanged a look. “I just agreed to it, right, Murasaki?” Inuyasha flashed a grin at the monk.

Miroku flinched a little. “So long as you don’t use me as your partner, Matsushita.”

Inuyasha barked out a laugh. “That’s  _ exactly _ what I plan to do.”

Kagome crossed the room to him and kissed his cheek. Inuyasha immediately relaxed and put his arms around her. “How are you?” he breathed into her ear.

“O—Okay,” she whispered, and he immediately scented her fear and concern. He tightened his hold on her.

“I’m going to take her home now,” Inuyasha said brusquely. “Tell Murasaki I’ll call her later. And I’ll keep you posted on the other thing we discussed.” He nodded to Kaede. “Good night, Miroku. Chie-oba-sama. I’ll trust you to lock up, bouzo.” And he steered Kagome out of the school, Kagome feebly protesting the entire way.

By the time they reached Inuyasha’s car, Kagome was seething. “How dare you just take me out of my own school without a chance to say good night to Miroku and Kaede?” she hissed, opening the car door and flinging herself inside. “We had things to discuss!” She turned around and placed her duffel bag in the backseat, mindful of her laptop inside.

“No, you didn’t,” Inuyasha replied easily, opening his own door and slipping into his seat. He started the car and began the drive to his apartment. Kagome sank back in her own seat, sulking as Inuyasha drove through traffic and pulled onto Route 1. Inuyasha barked out a laugh. “I can hear you over there, huffing and puffing,” he said affectionately, placing a hand on her knee and squeezing. She grumbled, but moved her own hand on top of his, shivering at the spark shooting through their hands upon touch.

“So, where do you live, anyway?” she asked, still sour, but feeling soothed by the warm pressure of his hand on her leg. She offered him a little squeeze back.

“Nakameguro,” he replied, exiting onto Route 2.

“All the way out there?” She was surprised by where he lived.

“It’s only like five minutes by train to Shibuya,” he told her. “And about fifteen minutes to headquarters if I drive. And, I hate to say this, but it’s also about fifteen minutes to my bastard brother’s manor.”

She giggled, and he relaxed. “Do you make it a habit of visiting your brother?” she teased.

“I hadn’t been back to the manor in over a hundred years before Saturday,” he said. “Since I left.”

“You mentioned that when we went,” commented Kagome. “But why?”

“Because like I said,” Inuyasha grunted, “he’s a bastard.” He paused; his face softened. “I’d like to tell you about it,” he added, thinking about his father, “but can it wait until we get home?”

“ _ Home _ ?” Kagome squeaked.

“To my place, then,” he corrected, blushing slightly at the thought of his apartment as their “home.” “I’m sorry.”

She squeezed his hand again, and shifted her body so her head rested on his shoulder. “No, I’m sorry,” she said softly. “Home is wherever you are, you know.”

Inuyasha turned to kiss the top of her head, taking his eyes off the road for just a second. “Home is wherever  _ you _ are, koishii,” he replied tenderly. He grinned. “And your damn cat.”

“How  _ was _ it picking up Buyo today, anyway?” she asked with a frown.

“Fine,” he said, “I only got like five scratches.” He removed his hand from under hers and flexed it so she could see the scratches on his wrist.

“Inuyasha,” she sighed, tears forming in her eyes. “That  _ stupid _ cat.”

“Oi!” he exclaimed. “Don’t cry! I’m really okay.” He laughed. “They’ll be gone in another hour or so. I’m a fast healer,” he added when he saw the look of confusion on her face.

“We’re almost there,” he said, “look out your window.”

Kagome did as she was told, and gave an exclamation of delight as they drove over the Meguro River bridge and into the neighborhood.

“It’s why I moved here,” he told her, and she could see why.

The Meguro River was more of a canal that split the neighborhood. As they drove down the main drag, Kagome could see that the canal was lined with sakura trees. The leaves were starting to fall from them, since it was November, but Kagome could easily imagine them lush with pink-and-white sakura blossoms in the spring, and full of greenery in the summer.

“They must be beautiful in the spring,” she breathed.

“They are,” he agreed. “A little strong for my nose, but I do enjoy the view from my window.”

“The view from…” she repeated faintly.

“Here,” he said, making a sudden turn off the main drag and into a parking garage. He grabbed a card stuck into the rearview mirror visor and swiped them in. “It’s a short walk,” he promised.

“That’s okay,” she replied, watching him navigate the tiny garage with ease.

Inuyasha pulled his Subaru into a small spot and turned to Kagome, giving her a fanged grin. “We’re here,” he said.

Her heart stopped at the feral look in his eyes. “O—okay,” she stammered.

He grabbed her duffel bag from the back seat. “My laptop’s in there,” she told him.

“I’ll be careful,” he promised, and opened the car door. She did the same, and followed him out of the garage and down the main street, taking in the sights and sounds of his neighborhood.

“There’s not as much to see here,” he told her, “but when this is all over, I’ll bring you down to where all the shops and restaurants are. There’s an izakaya I’d love to take you to.”

She blushed. “I’d like that,” she replied softly.

He smiled. “It’s right here,” he said, pulling her into the stairwell of an incredibly modern building. There was a small garage at the bottom with an elevator—“so people don’t have to carry their bikes up all the stairs,” he informed her—and above that level, a main lobby with the mailboxes. They stopped there to pick up Inuyasha’s mail. “The manager lives back that way,” he said, jerking his thumb back to a door. Kagome nodded. She’d never seen anything like this building.

“Come on,” he said, “top floor.”

“Top—floor?” she repeated faintly.

“Trust me,” he replied, winking at her. Kagome’s heart beat out of step, and her face turned beet red. He took her hand again, leading her up the stairs.

The building was eight stories in total: the bottom garage, the main lobby, and then six apartments, all stacked on top of each other. The stairwell was between Inuyasha’s building and the building next door, making it a dark and cramped walk. Kagome was just starting to feel like they’d never get there when they reached the end of the stairs. Inuyasha let go of her hand long enough to whip out his keys. He unlocked the series of locks, said, “Wait here,” then stepped into the apartment to disarm his security system. “Okay,” he said, reaching for her hand again, “come on in.”

Kagome stepped into his apartment and let out a cry of surprise.

It was small, but  _ beautiful _ .

The door opened into a tiny genkan, with hardwood floors and two sliding panels, behind which one could put their shoes and coat. Inuyasha opened both, slipping off his own shoes, and then removing his jacket. Kagome followed suit, Inuyasha removing her coat for her. “Thanks,” she murmured. He grinned, his amber eyes dancing with excitement, and set her duffel down by the door.

“Let me give you the tour,” he said. “It won’t take long.”

To the left of the genkan was a yoshitsu with a series of large windows at the end. Inuyasha had maximized the space by opening it up fully; he had a galley kitchen with a sink, an electric cooktop and grill, a microwave, an electric boiler, and lots of shelving built in above the space. Kagome marveled at the pots and wine glasses hanging from the bottom of the shelving, and the bamboo baskets resting on top. He took her past the kitchen to the living space, where he had a television, a sofa, a chabudai, and a sideboard. There was more storage space built in above the television, which housed books and other items. Then, on the wall perpendicular to the windows, was a sliding glass door. Kagome looked at it longingly, but Inuyasha said, “We’ll get there, don’t worry,” and led her to the windows instead. He drew the blinds to the side, and Kagome gasped.

“You can see the river!” she exclaimed.

“Now you know why the walk up is worth it,” he said.

“I do,” she breathed, pressing her face to the glass and admiring the view.

Inuyasha let her stand like that for several moments, enjoying the pleasure she was getting out of his home thus far. There wasn’t much else to see, but he hoped she liked it just as much.

“Come on,” he said, “bath and bedroom are this way, but first…” and he led her to the sliding glass door.

“Open it,” he told her, and she did.

“Inuyasha,” she murmured. The door opened to a small balcony, where he had set a small aluminum table and two chairs. She looked to her left, and could see the river and the sakura trees again. She looked down, saw that the building was next to a small shrine, surrounded by lush trees and gardens.

“Do you like it?” he asked, grinning at her.

She turned, her eyes shining. “This place is amazing,” she whispered. He glowed.

“Let’s finish the tour,” he said, reaching out his hand to her. She took it, and they both shivered from the  _ feelings _ that rushed through them on contact. Inuyasha led her back inside, to show her the rest of his home.

They walked past the genkan to the other side of the apartment. Inuyasha opened one pocket door to reveal the toilet, then another to reveal the bath. In there, Kagome was relieved to see a stacked washer and dryer, a sink with a mirror, and then, past that, another sliding door, behind which was the bathing area itself. One wall was a beautiful tile made to resemble wood, and the other walls were white subway tile. There was another mirror, and a shelf, upon which Kagome saw that Inuyasha stored his bath supplies. He had a shower stool, a long, metal shower nozzle, and a deep tub with heating system built in.

Kagome’s eyes gleamed, and Inuyasha felt a flood of desire for her, thinking about how they’d spent the night before in her bathtub. She turned to face him, and he offered her a fanged grin. Her arousal hit him full, and he had to hold onto the doorframe to compose himself.

“One more room,” he rasped. She nodded, and allowed him to lead her to the end of the apartment. There was a pocket door there, which he slid open. Inside was a small, but bright, bedroom; it was a 6-tatami mat washitsu, with two closets. And…

“Buyo!” Kagome exclaimed, dropping to her knees and hugging her cat fiercely.

“I’m sorry I had to lock him in here,” Inuyasha said apologetically, “but I couldn’t have him roaming around the apartment without us here, and I felt bad leaving him in the bathroom. I left his food and litter box, so we’ll have to air out the room before we go to sleep.” His nose wrinkled, Kagome thought adorably, at the thought of cat smell in his bedroom.

Kagome rose, still petting her cat, who was purring contentedly in her arms. “He seems fine,” she said. “Thank you for bringing him here.”

“Your clothes are in the left closet,” Inuyasha said, sliding the door open to reveal a sophisticated shelving system. Her clothes were hung neatly at the top; there were two drawers, and then a space at the bottom for her shoes. “The futon’s in my side,” he added, pulling back the other door to reveal another sophisticated shelving unit. “The safe where I keep my firearms is back there,” he said, pushing aside several shirts to reveal the small safe. “Everything’s secure. I removed my firearm before I came to pick you up tonight.”

Kagome felt herself getting teary. “You thought of everything,” she said, hugging Buyo closer to her. “Thank you.”

Inuyasha picked up the litter box and Buyo’s food and water bowls. “I’ve got one more surprise for you.”

He left the bedroom and went back to the kitchen, Kagome following interestedly. He got fresh water for Buyo and quickly washed out the food bowl, which he set on the counter. “Let’s feed old Buyo first,” he said, scratching the cat behind his ears. Buyo meowed affectionately and nuzzled Inuyasha’s hand.

“I can’t believe how much he likes you,” Kagome said in disbelief.

“We’re best friends now,” Inuyasha replied, giving the cat another scratch and then getting food out of the cabinet. He prepared wet and dry cat food for Buyo, then set the bowl down by Buyo’s water. Kagome let Buyo leap lightly down to the floor, where he began to delicately eat what Inuyasha had prepared.

Inuyasha washed his hands, then went to the refrigerator. “I hope you enjoyed your snack this afternoon?” he said.

Kagome leaned against the sink countertop. “The gyoza? Yeah, it was amazing.”

“Then you’ll enjoy this,” he said. “I’ve got pork buns, shrimp tempura with udon, chicken donburi, and shoyu for us.” He set those on the counter, then went back to the fridge. “And beer.” He pulled out two cans of Sapporo, opening one and handing it to her, then opening the other for himself. He pulled his hair back into a high ponytail, then wrapped a tie around it three times, the third time leaving it half up, the ends of his hair sticking out sexily from the bottom.

“When did you have time to get all that?” she asked in shock, eagerly taking a sip of the beer and sighing. Her stomach grumbled loudly in appreciation.

“I picked it up at lunch,” he said, pulling out several pans and going to reheat everything on the cooktop.

“Don’t you just microwave your leftovers?” she asked, surprised.

He laughed loudly. “And now we know why you are a terrible cook,” he commented, starting the cooktop and heating up the shoyu and udon first.

“Bowls and plates are under there,” Inuyasha added, nodding to the sink. Kagome obediently went and got out several of each. “And chopsticks are there.” Kagome opened a drawer and got out two sets of chopsticks, too.

“It smells fantastic,” she said appreciatively. Kagome watched him at the cooktop as she sipped her beer. The scene was impossibly domestic, and Kagome found herself getting warm as she observed her soulmate’s easy, casual movements around the kitchen, Buyo pausing in his dinner to rub up against Inuyasha’s legs.

She could get used to this.

No, really, she could.

“Here,” he said, lifting the shoyu from the cooktop, “take this.” He handed her the handle first, protected by a potholder; she took it and reached into the drawer for a ladle. She ladled out the shoyu evenly into two bowls while he put a skillet on the cooktop and heated it up.

“You can put those on the chabudai,” he said, “and then ladle out the udon for me, okay?”

She grinned. “You bet.”

And so they worked together to prepare their dinner, Inuyasha heating everything up, Kagome plating and serving it. She tried to make it as beautiful as one can make takeout, and Inuyasha couldn’t help but smile as he watched her efforts to artfully display their meal.

At long last they sat at the chabudai, fresh beers in hand, feasting on Inuyasha’s takeout. “This is  _ amazing _ ,” Kagome sighed, taking a bite of a pork bun and closing her eyes in satisfaction. Inuyasha chuckled.

“I’ll take you there someday,” he promised.

“Where is ‘there’?” she asked.

“A little ramen shop in Fukugawa,” replied Inuyasha. “It’s a real hole-in-the-wall.”

“Those are always the best places.”

He grinned at her. “They are.”

Kagome flushed with pleasure at his smile and they sat in an amiable silence, both of them feeding Buyo bits of pork from their shoyu.

Finally, Inuyasha put down his chopsticks and took a swig of beer. He watched as she slurped the last of her shoyu and leaned back, rubbing her belly. “Gochisousama deshita,” she breathed.

“Are you ready for me to tell you about my day?” he asked her.

“Do you have any whiskey?” Kagome replied.

Inuyasha’s ears twitched. “Huh?”

“I feel like I might need to steel myself.”

He smirked. She wasn’t wrong.

“Let me see what I’ve got,” he told her, and went over to a sideboard that Kagome thought just held books, but when Inuyasha slid the door back, she saw several bottles of liquor and beautiful crystal glasses. She watched as he took out two glasses, then rooted through his bottles, and heard them clink against each other as he moved them aside.

“I’ve got a bottle of Hakushu,” he said. “Aged 18 years.”

“Holy shit,” she said, surprised. “We can’t drink that.”

“And why the fuck not?” he demanded. “Who else will I drink this with?”

“I—don’t know?”

Inuyasha sighed. “You’re the first person I’ve had over here in  _ months _ , Higurashi,” he said impatiently. “And the only one I’d want to drink whiskey with.” His golden eyes gleamed in the lamplight. “Hopefully this is the first of many nights you’re here, and that’s worth a thousand of these bottles.”

She flushed an ever deeper red, but nodded shyly. He opened the bottle and poured out two fingers of whiskey in each glass, then screwed the cap back on. He made to return it to the sideboard, but thought better of it and left it on the top instead. Kagome quickly cleaned up the dishes and put everything in the sink, vowing to wash them up later.

When she returned to the chabudai, Inuyasha had pulled it close to the sofa and was laying against the arm, glasses and bottle of whiskey within reach. Kagome slid between his legs and nestled in close. She picked up her glass of whiskey and took a sip. She closed her eyes as the heat coursed through her body.

“Better?” he teased her. She nodded and turned slightly sideways so she could have access to both her whiskey and his chest. One hand worked between the buttons of his shirt to the taut skin beneath. His skin was cooling; she was the one on fire.

“Hold on, Higurashi, hold on,” he said haltingly. “If you keep this up, I won’t be able to talk with you. And  _ fuck _ , we need to talk.”

She found his nipple and pinched it lightly; he growled and hugged her close. “All right!” she said, laughingly. Kagome turned her face up to his and kissed his chin. “Tell me about your day, anata.”

He smiled and buried his face in her hair, taking in her sweet scent.

“You already know I saw Kikyo today,” he said. She nodded. “I’ll get to that in a minute. First, before Kikyo, I had a meeting with Sesshomaru.”

“With your brother?”

He nodded, his face still covered by her hair. “Yeah,” he replied.

“ _ Why _ ?” The disgust was clear in her voice.

“I needed to talk with him about the case, first,” answered Inuyasha, now wrapping his arms around her tightly. “And about you, second.”

“Why are you talking with your brother about  _ me _ ?” she asked slowly, a hint of warning in her voice.

“Because,” he said, I know that  _ you _ don’t want to talk about our very different life spans, but  _ fuck _ , it’s fucking tearing me up inside and I needed to talk to someone.”

“So you chose your brother,” Kagome said skeptically. He nodded. “Your brother who hates humans, me especially?”

Inuyasha sighed. “He doesn’t  _ hate _ you,” he replied. “Not exactly.”

Kagome took a deep breath; Inuyasha could tell she was counting in her head to keep from losing her shit. “All right,” she said at last. “Tell me what he said.”

“I can mate you,” Inuyasha replied quickly, before he lost his nerve. “I can mate you, and if I do that, then your life span will be extended to match mine.”

“And how long would that be, exactly?” He didn’t miss the carefulness in her tone.

“Ummm…” he suddenly felt like he should not have brought this up.

Kagome turned around and straddled him, placing one palm on each side of his face. “How long, Inuyasha?” Her stormy eyes bore right into his soul. He couldn’t lie.

“Maybe a…thousand years?” He couldn’t look her in the face.

Kagome was silent. Inuyasha slowly began to panic.

“You want me to mate you,” she repeated, “so I can live for a thousand years?”

“No,” he replied immediately. He leaned forward to capture her lips softly, reminding her of their connection. She moaned. “I want to mate you so we can share our lives together, always,” he whispered.

“Inuyasha,” she breathed.

“No, Higurashi,” he said, suddenly hard and fierce. It took her by surprise, and she drew back from him in shock. He quickly softened his face and pulled her back to him.

“My parents,” he said, “were soulmates, but not youkai mated. My mother died when I was still just a kid. I think…I think it broke my dad. He later died from wounds received in a fierce battle with the dragon youkai Ryuukotsusei.” Inuyasha huffed and ran one hand through his hair, keeping the other tight on Kagome. “I always thought he was so reckless, you know? Going into that battle alone. I mean, he was the Inu no Taisho, right? He was unmatched in strength and in skill. He was a war general. But he barged into the battle with Ryuukotsusei without even a moment’s thought.” He hugged her to him. “He wasn’t reckless, Higurashi. He was fucking  _ broken _ and looking for a way to go out with fucking honor. Ryuukotsusei was that way out.” He laughed bitterly. “When he died I went full youkai for five fucking days and refused to give up his body. Totosai and Myoga—my dad’s other adviser, he’s off only the gods know where these days—brought in a string of mikos to keep me sealed until I went back to normal. I don’t know how they pulled me away from my father.” Inuyasha’s eyes grew impossibly sad. Kagome could hear the pain in his voice; she could feel it in his heart. It caused her own heart to ache, too. Because she knew what it was like to lose one’s dad.

“Inuyasha,” she whispered.

“No, Higurashi,” he said, “ _ please _ . Please let me finish.”

She nodded.

“My father lost my mother because he was unable to mate her,” he explained. “Father was still married to Sess’ mom, but it was a political marriage, and they weren’t mated. But as the Inu no Taisho—as the Lord of the West and the Lord over all other Lords—he could not mate while he was married to another. Sess’ mom refused to end the marriage. She left, but wouldn’t give him whatever is the equivalent of a youkai divorce. So my mom got sick, and she died, when mating could have saved her.” His voice hitched and grew hoarse. “It could have  _ fucking _ saved her, Higurashi.”

_ Now  _ Kagome understood.

“Inuyasha,” she whispered again. “What happened with your parents is not going to happen with us. You’re not married; there is nothing keeping us apart.”

“That’s fucking bullshit, Higurashi, and you know it,” he said harshly.

She pulled back from him, surprised.

“You’re being stalked,” he said. “You could get sick. You could die tomorrow. Any number of scenarios could take you away from me early. You’re  _ human _ ,” he said, his face going suddenly soft and tender, “and you are fragile, and delicate, and I am scared shitless.”

Kagome took several deep breaths, trying to compose herself. She was neither fragile  _ nor _ delicate, but from a youkai perspective, she could certainly see how he might think that she was. “Inuyasha,” she said at last, “you know that I’m strong. Nothing is going to happen to me.”

His face was a twist of emotions that Kagome couldn’t read. “Fine,” he said. “Then you’ll be dead in sixty years—maybe seventy if we’re lucky—and where does that leave me? With another couple hundred years with our pups—if we even have any, and for the record, I hope we have lots—but not you?” He shook his head vigorously. “No fucking way.”

Kagome had to pause before she replied. Her face was heated and beet red from his second admission that he wanted to have lots of babies with her. She needed to beat that down, and fast.

Logically, she could see where he was coming from. Typically, people spent their entire lives together. But what would that look like if one person lived absurdly longer than the other? How would that be fair, to either of them? His proposal did make sense, from that standpoint.

But on the other hand…

“If I were to mate you,” she said quietly, “you’d be committing me to a lifetime of endless death. I would see my mother, my brother, my descendants, die. I would see Miroku, Sango, Akemi, Akari, die. Every human I met, I would be thinking about how short their lives are in comparison to ours. And how unfair it is that I get to live while they do not.”

“I see your point,” he replied immediately. “But, you would have me, and our kids, and our grandkids. And my bastard brother, and Kagura-onee-san, and their pups. And even that mangy wolf Kouga. We would all be here for you, forever. You could run your school for as long as you wanted. We could travel the world; we could stay here. I would do whatever you wanted, so long as it meant we were together.”

She had to admit; his proposition was tempting. And truth be told, she didn’t want to grow old without him. She really didn’t. She wanted to see her children grow up. She wanted so many things. She really did.

“What about my powers?” she finally asked instead.

He sighed and handed her the whiskey. “You’re gonna need this,” he said as his phone pinged. “Drink that,” he said, “but not too fast. I gotta take this.” He got up and went into the kitchen to grab two glasses of water. It was a text from Kikyo.

_ Tomorrow. 10am. You know where. Come alone. _

He paused long enough to text her back a thumbs up, then went back to the sofa. Kagome’s cheeks were adorably pink from the alcohol. He took his own glass and downed the whiskey in one shot, then poured himself some more as the alcohol burned his esophagus pleasantly.

“Okay,” Inuyasha said, settling her back into his lap, “that’s where the second meeting I had today comes in.”

“Kikyo-sama,” she said.

“Kikyo,” he agreed.

“How does Kikyo-sama factor in here?” Kagome asked, a little frown fluttering across her lips.

Inuyasha grinned; he couldn’t help it. “You’re jealous.”

“You had lunch at an incredible restaurant with your ex, who just happens to be the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen,” Kagome said hotly. “So yeah, maybe a little.”

“ _ You’re _ the prettiest woman  _ I’ve _ ever seen,” he retorted. “Kikyo doesn’t come close to you. And don’t even argue with me.”

“Okay,” she whispered, and wrapped her arms around his torso.

“She said,” he continued, “that finding one’s soulmate does not mean a miko loses her powers.”

“Not right away, anyway,” Kagome countered.

“I think she meant  _ not at all _ ,” he argued. “The monk and I had a chat tonight, while you and the obaba were talking. I think he agrees. He said there’s evidence that if a miko gives herself to someone who is not her soulmate, she will lose her powers, but that he couldn’t remember any hard evidence of that being true with the soulmate. I believe he said that we never hear from the married mikos; it’s like they drop off the face of the earth after they get married. So it’s assumed that they give up their powers to get married, retire, and raise their children. He said he would check his books tonight, but that he couldn’t remember any instances where the miko said she lost her powers.”

Kagome nodded. “Kaede said that if I want you and my powers, that I need to fight for both. But what do you think that means?”

“I don’t fucking know for sure,” Inuyasha growled, now nose to nose with her. “But I have a few ideas.”

“Care to share?” she teased him, rubbing their noses together.

“Just that I think there’s more to this Tsubasa Tsubaki woman than we might think,” he said slowly. “Her scent seemed off a little today. Not evil, but definitely intimidating. She’s worth keeping an eye on. I’ll do some digging when I get to the station tomorrow.”

“Sounds like a plan,” she said, now rubbing her cheek against his.  _ Gods _ , this woman was driving him fucking  _ insane _ . “I don’t mean to cut this conversation short,” she added, winking at him, “but I’m awfully tired.” She started rubbing her nose into the hollow of his throat. “And you smell divine,” she added, giving him a lick.

_ Ah, fuck _ .

This woman was going to be the death of him, and Inuyasha was one hundred percent here for every, single, moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When researching where Inuyasha would live, I really wanted something perfect--a neighborhood that was a little different, one that would seem out of the way, but wasn't. Nakameguro really fit everything I was looking for. For the inspiration for Inuyasha's apartment building, click [here](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Japan,+%E3%80%92153-0061+T%C5%8Dky%C5%8D-to,+Meguro+City,+Nakameguro,+3-ch%C5%8Dme%E2%88%921%E2%88%925+%EF%BC%B9%EF%BC%AB%E4%B8%AD%E7%9B%AE%E9%BB%92/@35.6419162,139.7012842,3a,75y,237.37h,113.76t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sh2XJYyQy2xHb-wAjoh-ceQ!2e0!3e11!7i16384!8i8192!4m5!3m4!1s0x60188b480139b0a9:0x6244bfb59c9be977!8m2!3d35.6417914!4d139.7011292). For the inspiration for his apartment's interior, click [here.](https://www.decoist.com/space-savvy-japanese-apartment-cat-walkways/open-living-area-with-dining-and-corner-kitchen-inside-the-japanese-home/) (And I hope that you will agree--now that Kagome has been there, she should never leave!)
> 
> Are the pieces finally starting to come together? What additional insights can Kikyo and Miroku provide? Just _what_ does Tsubaki want with Kagome? 
> 
> In the next update, Inuyasha finally reads Sesshomaru's file, and is stunned by what he learns. Kagome tells Inuyasha more about her life growing up, and how it led to her insecurities. Then, he "comforts" her in a way that only he can ;) 
> 
> Everyone, thanks so very much for reading, and I look forward to seeing you all at the next update! <3


	24. Putting the Pieces Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha finally reads Sesshomaru's files, and makes a startling discovery as he begins to put the pieces together. Kagome reveals a bit of her past, and her own struggles with intimacy and commitment. Later, Inuyasha and Kagome reaffirm their bond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you're safe and well.
> 
> As always, thanks _so much_ for the comments and feedback on the last chapter! I loved having the opportunity to imagine a world for Inuyasha--where and how he lives. So, I'm thrilled that you all agreed that it was a perfect fit for his character!
> 
> I am so excited to bring you the next chapter of Spirited Soulmates. In this chapter, Inuyasha and Kagome will be spending some sexy "quality time" together, so please make sure to heed the tags!

Inuyasha sent Kagome to take a bath (he had seen her eyeing the temperature-controlled tub) and to get ready for bed so he could review the documents his brother had given him that day. The file was thick, but he knew what he was looking for: any mention of Tsuji Onigumo, of spiritualists, and, especially, of mikos.

He hated to admit it, but Sesshomaru’s notes were meticulous and detailed. Inuyasha growled a little as he flipped through the pages. _Meticulous and detailed to the point of boring_ , he thought. His eyes scanned for any mention of Tsuji, but page after page told him nothing. He saw Kouga’s name several times, and he paused when he got to a several-page-long discussion of Kagome:

_The miko Higurashi Kagome gave her argument today in favor of allowing spiritualists to openly train and develop their abilities. She presented a detailed report and PowerPoint, which guided participants through information regarding the history of spiritualism in Japan, human-youkai relations, and the benefits and drawbacks of allowing spiritualists to openly train._

_Higurashi’s argument (attached here in report form) generated much discussion among the negotiators. Along with Moriyama Kouga, the ookami Lord of the East, there were a number of youkai who believed that Higurashi raised several important points, most notably the treaty’s ability to allow for effective training of spiritual humans, thus working to help prevent accidental purifyings in the future. This one believes that is the single greatest argument working in Higurashi’s favor—that if we can reduce the number of accidental purifyings of youkai, then we can maintain our numbers and not be reduced to consorting with humans in order to keep youkai blood alive and well in this world._

Inuyasha growled. _Of fucking_ _course_ his bastard of a half-brother would slip something bigoted about hanyous into his notes. He continued to read:

_However, this one—and the majority of the youkai present—expressed grave concern about the treaty’s protections of humans in general, and of spiritual humans in particular. In fact, although he was not invited to participate in the talks, the hanyou Tsuji Onigumo sent a detailed written request that the treaty be rejected, on the grounds that spiritualists would use this as an opportunity to conquer youkai, effectively enslaving them, using the fear of being purified as a means to get youkai to do what they say. Tsuji argued in his request that the only way to achieve full peace was for youkai and humans to have the same powers—for them to be on equal footing, so to speak. Of course, this was a ridiculous argument, as youkai are infinitely more powerful than even the strongest spiritualists, and none of the youkai present believed this to be an option they would be willing to consider in the treaty. Tsuji’s request was outright rejected, while debate continued regarding Higurashi’s report._

Inuyasha dropped the folder on the chabudai and took several deep breaths. There it was, in his own brother’s clear writing: Tsuji Onigumo wanted humans and youkai to have equal power. He wanted the power that spiritualists had.

This request sure as _fuck_ seemed like a motive to him.

He called Sango. “Murasaki,” he said quietly when she picked up. “I’m going to send you PDFs of some documents I got from my brother. I think we have a clear suspect, and a motive.”

 _“Really, Matsushita_?” Sango’s voice crackled over the phone. “ _Who? Tsuji Onigumo_?”

“Yeah,” he replied. “We’re gonna need access to our databases, but for tonight, read over these pages I’m gonna send you. They’re from my brother’s personal files on the Human-Youkai Treaty negotiations.” He paused. “I think they also make clear why Tsuji might be after Higurashi.”

He could practically hear Sango nodding through the phone. “ _Right_ ,” she said. “ _Send me what you’ve got. I’ll meet you at headquarters at 8. We’re gonna need an early start to the day_.”

“Give me five minutes,” Inuyasha answered. “Then I’ve gotta get back to Higurashi. If I’m gone too long, she’ll think something’s up.”

“ _If it’s okay with you_ ,” Sango said, “ _I’m gonna call headquarters. I think we need someone watching your building at all times_.” Inuyasha growled. “ _Oh, get a grip, Matsushita!”_ she exclaimed in response. “ _If someone is casing your building, don’t you want a warning?”_

“Keh,” he grumbled, but couldn’t deny she was right.

“ _Good. I’ll see you in the morning. Get some sleep, Matsushita_ ,” she added.

“’Night, Murasaki,” Inuyasha said. “And, thanks.”

Inuyasha hung up with Sango, then immediately dialed Totosai. “Hey, Captain,” he said. “I know it’s late, but Sesshomaru has given me some information on the missing miko case that I think links that case with the robberies. I’m gonna send you some PDFs; Sango is working to get an officer to watch my building. I’ll be in tomorrow at 8.” He paused. “Wait until you see this,” he added. “When we put it all together, I think it’ll blow your fucking mind.”

* * *

Kagome lay on the futon, snuggled beneath the covers, waiting for Inuyasha to join her. He said he had a few last-minute things to take care of before bed, and she totally understood. He was a detective first, above anything else. Just like she was a miko. They were both incredibly invested in their careers, but yet, Inuyasha had more than once dropped everything to come to her side, to _protect_ her, even if she hated that word.

Because that’s exactly what he was doing. Keeping her safe. Keeping her company. Keeping her…occupied. She blushed as she thought about what would happen on the futon once he got back.

But truth be told, the whole soulmates thing, while she was sure that she loved him, felt like it was moving too quickly. She’d barely known the man two weeks, and here she was, kissing him, having sex with him, and now, living with him.

Her mind kept telling her this was too much, too fast. Her heart kept saying it wasn’t enough, that she needed more of him, and quickly, or she might _die_.

Kagome scoffed, but sent out her reiki to try and detect her soulmate. She found him in the kitchen, probably doing up the dishes she had sworn she would do, and yet, did not. _Oops._ Old habits died hard; she needed to get better about helping out around the house, if this was her future. She found she didn’t mind making that commitment. Her scoffs grew into a smile as he sent back a little youki, reassuring her, comforting her.

He knew just how to do that, didn’t he? How to comfort her, make her feel safe, make her feel…whole? For the first time in over twenty years, she felt…complete.

And yet…there were things that she had to tell him, just like there had been things he had to tell her. Would he be as accepting of her story as she had been of his?

“Kagome?” Inuyasha’s use of her given name gave her pause. “You okay?”

Kagome sat up, her blue eyes glowing in the moonlight that filtered softly through the windows. “I’m okay,” she said quietly. 

He crossed the room and was by her side in an instant. “What’s wrong?” he asked. He sat beside her and brushed a strand of hair out of her face.

“Nothing,” she replied. “I’m…just…”

He leaned his forehead against hers. “You can tell me anything,” he whispered.

She shivered. “I’m scared,” she replied.

“Of what?” Inuyasha’s voice was nothing more than a breath.

“Of…of myself.” And in the instant she said it, she knew it was true.

His face was impossibly gentle. “There’s nothing to be afraid of, koishii,” he said softly. “I love you; gods in the heavens help me, but I do. No matter what.”

She allowed him to pull her to his chest. “You know,” she said, “you’re not the only one here who lost a parent.”

Inuyasha’s hold on her grew tighter. “Kagome…”

“My dad, too,” she whispered. “I was seven. Mama was pregnant with my little brother, Souta. Papa was in a car accident. He left for work one day and never came home. He never even made it to work.” Her breath hitched. “We went to live at Papa’s family shrine with my grandfather. My mother had Souta; we worked at the shrine. She didn’t drive again until I was in high school. My powers manifested shortly after Papa died; my grandfather finally started training me when I was eight.” She took a deep breath. “It was too late by then, though; my powers were too great for him to handle, and he eventually sent me to Kaede to train. That’s how I met her. I was this little girl who had reiki shooting out of her fingertips at all hours of the day. I couldn’t control myself. I accidentally purified a youkai classmate, and couldn’t bring myself to go back to school. I was absolutely terrified I was going to hurt someone else. Kaede—Kaede helped me see that my power wasn’t something to fear, but instead, something to harness.”

She paused again, and Inuyasha could scent her tears.

“Kaede saved me,” she whispered, “but not before I harbored so much fear in my heart that I couldn’t trust myself anymore. Around anyone. It took me _years_ before I could be in the same room with a youkai, much less be alone with one, without completely freaking.” She laughed bitterly. “School was…hard. I had to be in classes with youkai, but I had to sit across the room from them. I couldn’t let myself near anyone. I had Sango, and later, Miroku, but they were human. And Miroku’d always had such good control over his powers. He couldn’t truly know how I felt.” She nuzzled Inuyasha’s chest. “I was so scared, Inuyasha. And then…I met Kouga.”

There was a pang in his heart at the tenderness with which she said the wolf’s name. Inuyasha buried his face in her hair again, seeking comfort from her as much as she was from him. “I guess it was because he was so attracted to me, he refused to leave me alone.” She laughed quietly. “I was in college then. I tried to run away from him, the gods only know how much. But like I told you before, he just kept coming back.” Kagome sighed. “He was my first real youkai friend, Inuyasha. He’s been my best friend, after Sango and Miroku, for almost ten years. Kaede may have trained me to use my powers, but Kouga taught me to have confidence in them. And even though he knew there could never be anything between us, he stuck around. Why, I’ll never know.”

Inuyasha knew. And it was all he could do to not growl. The fucker had been sticking around, biding his time, waiting for Kagome to give up everything for him, instead of accepting what could never be and moving on. At least the wolf now knew, with absolute certainty, where he stood.

“But losing my dad…having these tremendous powers that took me a long time to learn how to control…all it taught me was not to get close to anyone, because you never know when they’re going to be taken away from you.”

“Kagome.” Now he could _feel_ her sadness, and it was hitting him hard, too. He suddenly understood why she advocated for what she did when negotiating the treaty. She had been untrained and terrified of her powers. How many other little spiritualists were out there, with the same fears? How many were shutting themselves away from the world, so scared of hurting others? Tears pricked at his eyes as he felt his soulmate’s sorrow.

“But that’s the easy solution, right?” Kagome continued. “Close yourself off so you don’t have anyone? It’s what I did, and it worked great for me for a long time. Anyone who tried to get in—Kouga, Hojo, even Sango and Miroku—I kept everyone at arm’s length. Just far enough away to never be truly close to anyone.” She pulled back and looked up at Inuyasha. “They all gave me shit about it, but what could I do? The threat of accidentally purifying someone aside, I had this whole soulmate thing hanging over my head. Was it worth it to be attracted to someone at all, if it turned out they weren’t my soulmate? No offense, but it didn’t work out great for you and Kikyo.”

It sure as fuck did not.

She barked out a bitter laugh. “After I helped Kouga with the Human-Youkai Treaty, he got really… _insistent_ …that I consider his offer to date me. I told him no… _again_ …and he seemed to accept it. I thought he understood. But he didn’t, and that’s on me.” She sighed; Inuyasha bit back yet another growl, because it _wasn’t_ fucking on her. “I was so busy protecting my own heart that I didn’t think about protecting anyone else’s.” Kagome’s voice shifted; her eyes began to radiate warmth. “Then, I met you. And everything I thought I knew got turned the fuck upside down.”

Kagome pushed him away so he lay back on the futon. She straddled his hips, rubbing up against his jeans ( _she wasn’t wearing any fucking underwear!_ His youki was _singing_ ), and rested her head on his chest.

“What am I supposed to do here, Inuyasha?” she asked him softly. “How much of what we do is guided by us, and how much is guided by the gods’ decree? I can’t separate out the two, but I know that I don’t want to live my life by someone else’s plan.”

Inuyasha couldn’t help beaming in response to what she said. He rested one hand in her hair, and allowed his other hand to gently cradle her ass, his claws tracing her skin delicately. “I think,” he said slowly, trying to sort out his own feelings, “I think we just go where our feelings take us. If you feel like something is moving too fast, you tell me. If you want to do or to say something, you tell me. I promise to listen and to respect you. How’s that?”

He scented tears again; oh, fuck. What had he said wrong?

“Inuyasha.” And suddenly they were face to face, and she was kissing him. And, _oh gods_ , what a kiss it was. It was deep, and sensual, and full of uncertainty and love and so much emotion he thought he might melt away. Inuyasha wrapped both his arms around her and pressed her close. He could feel the swell of her breasts through her t-shirt; he could feel the heat of her sex, even through his jeans. His body responded instantly to hers; he chuckled inwardly as she began to tug at the buttons on his shirt, fumbling in her haste to undo them.

“Hey,” he whispered against her crushing kisses, “hey.” Kagome whined and pawed at his shirt more desperately. Inuyasha gave her a tiny push backwards; she sat up, still straddling him, and pulled off her shirt. Her entire body lit up with her reiki, a lustrous pink.

Why was she so fucking splendid?

“Kagome…” his voice was rough, and needy, and not at all what he was hoping for in this moment. He wanted to hit pause; she seemed to want to go into fast forward. And who was he to object?

He knew he should tell her about what he read in Sesshomaru’s notes, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Not yet. Not when she was already hurting so much. Not when he was the only one who could dull her pain.

She shook her head, her beautiful blue-black hair falling all around her as she leaned forward slightly. With more space now to work, she carefully undid the buttons on his shirt, sliding her hands down his chest, admiring her efforts. Admiring _him_.

“Gods,” she breathed, “you are so beautiful.”

Inuyasha’s breath hitched at her declaration. He felt his face growing heated. Had anyone ever told him that before?

No. Not even Kikyo.

“Higurashi.” He _needed_ her. Now.

She pressed her bare breasts to his chest and covered his lips with hers. He moaned loudly at the contact between their bodies and ran his tongue over the seam between her lips. She opened her mouth for him and granted him access. Their tongues met in the moist heat of her mouth, swirling and exploring. The pads of his fingers caressed her back; she shivered at the electricity between them.  
  
“Inuyasha,” she whispered, pulling back slightly.

He followed her mouth with his own, not willing to give her up just yet. She sighed as he ran his tongue over her teeth, but now placed her hands on his chest, and pushed him back down onto the futon.

“Higurashi.” His voice still had that rough, needy, desperate tone.

She hummed an affirmative, then slid down his hips to sit on his legs. There, she carefully began to work his belt, unhooking it and loosening it at his waist. She unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans, then opened them, looking at his boxer briefs heatedly. His cock was struggling against its restraints.

“I wanna try something,” she said softly. “If it’s okay with you?”

 _What_? “Anything,” he croaked.

She tucked a small hand into his underwear, and coaxed out his cock. Inuyasha gasped as she slowly ran her hand up and down the shaft, closing her eyes, enjoying the feel of it.

While Kagome had certainly enjoyed the feel of Inuyasha’s cock inside her, and briefly in her hand and on her lips, now she had its complete attention. The way it twitched and pulsed in her direction, she still couldn’t help but think it was happy to see her, and that it couldn’t wait to see what she had planned.

She was excited, too. Nervous, but excited. She remembered how much pleasure he’d given her with his fingers and his tongue, and she wanted to do the same for him.

“Tell me if you don’t like it, okay?” she said softly.

Inuyasha grunted. Like he wouldn’t like _anything_ that she did.

Kagome continued exploring his length with her fingers. She enjoyed the veiny, velvet, lush feel of the skin under the pads of her fingertips. She gently rubbed at the underside; he whined and bucked his hips in response. Kagome giggled, and circled his circumference with one hand, while the other moved to explore the tip. She ran her finger over it, playing with the foreskin a bit. He hissed, and she looked up, surprised.

“No,” he rasped, “it’s good. It’s just… _been_ …awhile.”

“Oh.” She giggled again, and lowered her mouth onto the head. Inuyasha let out a guttural howl as she ran her tongue over it delicately, lightly sucking on the foreskin. Using her tongue, she pushed it back slightly, then began stroking him softly, while gently working the shaft with her other hand. His yelps and curses and cries of her name—often all in the same breath—told her that she was doing something right. Kagome closed her eyes and began to go down on him in earnest, filling her mouth with as much of his cock as she could, gripping his length with one hand, holding herself over him with the other.

Inuyasha was in fucking _heaven_. It had been years since a woman had put her mouth on him, and holy gods in all the heavens, he had forgotten how fucking incredible it was. Or, maybe it was because it was Kagome—the thought of her sweet little mouth on his cock, in this way, was so dirty and sexy that he was having a hard time not releasing immediately. No, he wanted to savor this—he wanted to watch her bobbing up and down on him—he wanted to watch her breasts bouncing, to watch her nipples grow hard as they scraped against his jeans, to watch her face as she sucked him off. He wanted to see it all, and relish the heat and the glory of her mouth.

“Ka—Go—Me,” he croaked. “Holy—fuck.”

Kagome opened her eyes long enough to glance in his direction. Her face radiated pride, and then she popped off his cock and ran the whole of her tongue along the underside of his shaft. He let out a loud, wanton groan, and she proceeded to gently nip and suck along the bottom. She hadn’t thought much about enjoying this, but truth be told, she was fucking loving it. His cock tasted sweet and salty, and as much as she liked thrusting him into her face, she also loved licking him up and down like a lollipop.

She just loved every inch of him.

How had she gone from Higurashi “fear of intimacy” Kagome to Higurashi “can’t get fucking enough of her soulmate’s hot body” Kagome in 72 hours? Was this the actual effect he had on her? Or the effect the gods decreed he should have on her? Fuck, did it even matter?

A loud groan snapped Kagome back to reality, and she stopped her ministrations long enough to gaze up at Inuyasha. She rested her chin on his hip, grinning at his flushed face.

“What is it?” she purred. “Do you need something?”

The look in his eyes was positively _feral_ ; she shivered. “Fuck yes I do,” he said harshly. “I need you to get back on that cock and suck it like the good girl that you are.”

“Inuyasha!” she gasped.

“ _Now_ ,” he growled. She noticed red seeping into the sclera of his eyes. She’d awakened his demon side.

Higurashi “fear of intimacy” Kagome would have freaked out and run for the hills. But the new Higurashi Kagome welcomed the challenge.

She plunged her mouth back on his cock and gave it a lethal suck, gleeful as he yowled and thrust his hips against her face. She stretched out a hand to still his movements, insisting that he submit to her and let her be in control. He was still growling above her, but one harsh sweep over his foreskin made him groan loudly and twist beneath her. She preened and continued her actions, allowing him to penetrate her mouth. She felt her own thighs clench and become wet as her pleasure matched his own. _That_ was a side effect she definitely hadn't expected, but was greatly enjoying.

Then Inuyasha bellowed her name and a string of _very_ dirty words; his cock became huge and rock-hard, and she held on with both hands as he released into her mouth and dropped his head back onto the futon. She took it all in, swallowing and making little gulping sounds. While she sucked him dry, he reached down with one hand and gently stroked her hair. Kagome pulled off him, grinning. “How’d I do?” she asked, her eyes twinkling.

Inuyasha groaned. “I feel like I need to kill whoever you learned to do that on,” he growled. “That was fucking insane.”

Kagome giggled from her spot between his legs. “I’ve never done that before,” she said shyly.

Inuyasha turned his bleary eyes to her, aghast. “For fucking real?” She nodded, and he let out a whoosh of air. “Holy fuck,” he breathed. “You can _never_ do that to anyone else.”

She flushed a bright pink. “I think that whole concept of soulmates prevents me from doing so,” she said teasingly.

He dragged her up so that she was laying on top of him directly. Kagome rested her elbows on either side of his face and began to play delicately with his ears, rubbing the downy fur to the base and scratching lightly. Inuyasha growled as she kissed him, serenely, leisurely. How the _fuck_ could she be so cool? After what she did? He was _burning_.

“Higurashi,” he murmured against her lips. She gave his ears each a little tweak and he instantly felt himself growing hard again. Kagome licked his lips as she kissed him, and he swiftly shoved her aside and stood up, Kagome protesting and scooting across the futon after him.

But Inuyasha had no plans of letting her go. Oh, no.

He ripped off his shirt and yanked down his jeans and boxer briefs in two swift movements. He grabbed a condom from somewhere nearby—she couldn’t really tell where—and tore it open, rolling out the tip, placing it on his cock, and then pressing it down his length. Kagome watched, fascinated, as he dropped to all fours and advanced upon her, and she found her entire body was heated and tingling under his predatory gaze. His molten eyes devoured her; his fangs gleamed below his bottom lip.

“So,” she said casually as he tackled her and pressed his fangs into her neck, “the ears are a thing, huh?”

Inuyasha just growled again and rubbed his cock over her apex of her sex, making her cry aloud as he ground against her small bundle of nerves. His hands were everywhere, _everywhere_ , and she was boiling. He dragged his fangs down her body and teased the soft flesh of her breasts, pricking the skin there, licking up the droplets of blood. She moaned at the pressure of his fangs on her body; she shouldn’t love it so much, and yet, here she was, writhing and moaning wantonly as her hanyou soulmate let loose his youkai side and had his way with her. His right hand found her dripping opening, and he pressed two fingers inside her, mindful of his claws, even as he scraped his fangs all over her skin. How could he be so forceful, and yet so tender, at the same time?

Kagome didn’t know. But she fucking _loved_ it.

“Inuyasha,” she panted, fisting her hands in his hair and pushing his face between her breasts. He nuzzled them and dragged his fangs from one side of her chest to the other; she wailed at the pleasure radiating through every pore in her body. “ _Please_.”

At her begging he paused and looked up at her. She didn’t miss the red gleaming in his eyes. “Please, what, _Ka-Go-Me_?” he ordered, in a voice darker and rougher than usual.

“Please,” she whispered. “Please.”

“Tell me what you want,” he hissed. His mouth covered a nipple and he sucked as his fingers thrust into her relentlessly, forcing her to cry out as her walls quaked and sought release.

“No,” he added fiercely, withdrawing his fingers. She mewled and bucked her hips, wanting him to finish what he started. “You have to tell me _what. You. Want_.”

She flushed hotly and whined underneath him. He held her steady, his eyes burning real fire now, not just amber coals.

“F—fuck me,” she breathed at last. “Please. _Please_.”

Inuyasha chuckled. “Fuck,” he said, “I love to hear you beg.” And he buried himself in the depths of her sopping sex.

Kagome bellowed his name and hiked her legs up around his back as high as she could go, granting him deeper access. She could barely think; all she could do was feel him—his fangs now teasing her earlobe, his hands tangling in her hair, his claws scraping the back of her neck, his cock thrusting into her furiously. Her heels dug into him, urging him on; her sharp little nails, which before she had taken care not to scratch him with, were digging into his skin and she was sure she was drawing blood. But none of it mattered; only he mattered.

Only _they_ mattered.

The desperation with which he fucked her was unlike any emotion Inuyasha had ever experienced. She had turned him on so fully, so completely, it was like he was outside himself, beyond anything he’d ever known. She was so tight, and slick, and hot; she was both welcoming him in and trying to push him out. The added effort to drive into her was making him see stars. He kept up a steady string of feral sounds and curse words as he took her ruthlessly. He was beyond control— _this_ was beyond his control—but her reiki was starting to flow out and around them, and it was helping to ground him. His youki leapt forward to meet it, and they intertwined and pulsed in time with their fucking.

“Inuyasha,” Kagome whispered breathily, her nails digging into his shoulders now, “I’m close, I’m close, _so_ close.”

“Then cum for me, Kagome,” he whispered harshly, pounding into her with fervor and feeling her walls grow tight again. “You’ve been such a good girl. You deserve it.”

“ _Inuyasha_ ,” she cried, and he pulled her to his chest as she sobbed out her release. He fucked her slowly, tenderly, through her orgasm, then laid her back down and withdrew.

“What—what are you?” she asked, dazed.

“Shh,” he said, and flipped her over. He lifted her ass and rubbed it excitedly with his hands.

Oh, gods. He was going to _love_ this.

“Just relax,” he said, and pressed once again into her, Kagome crying aloud as he bottomed out. How did he feel so amazing? Each thrust seemed to touch every sensitive spot inside her, and before long, she was tingling and burning and clenching again.

“I—I can’t,” she babbled.

He leaned over her and ghosted her shoulders and back with light kisses. “You can,” he promised her tenderly, driving into her depths even as he spoke. His face was getting flush with the effort; he could feel her tensing up again, and he wasn’t going to be able to hold out this time. He grabbed her hips and began to plunge into her even more wildly than before, barely hearing her cries and pleas to go faster. If this was going to end quickly, he wanted to make it good.

In their mutual building climax, their youki and reiki swirled, heightened by their passion and by the depths of their love. Kagome let out a litany of sounds that were something like his name and the word _fuck_ , over and over; Inuyasha roared his climax at the same moment. Together they found their release, and collapsed onto the futon, Inuyasha laying full on her, mindful of his weight. Kagome, for her part, loved how heavy he felt on top of her: a warm shield, protecting her from the world.

Slowly, their auras receded, and Inuyasha rolled to his side, pulling Kagome in close. “That wasn’t too much for you, was it?” he asked, worry seeping into his tone as the red faded from his eyes.

Kagome giggled. “Would it be bad if I said I’d been imagining your fangs on me for a while now?”

Inuyasha’s chest rumbled affectionately as he pulled her in for a kiss. “You can have my fangs on you as much as you like,” he replied heatedly.

“Inuyasha…” her blue-gray eyes gleamed.

He laughed loudly. “Oh, so soon?” He scraped her neck again, and she shuddered. “We can do this all night, if you like.”

She pulled him in for a deep kiss, this time running her tongue over his fangs. “Oh,” she said huskily, “I like.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that Inuyasha has officially "welcomed" Kagome home, what's next for them?
> 
> Plus, how will Totosai and Sango react to Inuyasha's discovery? What will Miroku learn from his research? Will Kagome ever become a morning person? Find out all this and more at the next update, and as usual, thanks everyone, so much, for reading!


	25. The Message

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha fights against having to leave Kagome, who later receives a shocking message.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you're safe and doing well.
> 
> And, as always, thanks everyone for your kind words and feedback on this, and all, my stories. I always LOVE hearing your thoughts!
> 
> Welcome to the next chapter of Spirited Soulmates! I hope that you enjoyed Inuyasha and Kagome's short-lived domestic bliss, because it's time to kick the plot into high gear. Enjoy!

Two rooms. One per room. Two screens. One very, very, annoyed scientist.

For the past twenty-four hours, Bankotsu had tried everything possible to get Yamamoto Sara and Ito Naomi to tell him what they knew about Higurashi Kagome. All they would tell him was information he could easily glean from the Spiritualist Society’s home page: where she went to school, who she studied under, what articles she’d published, etc.

They were tight-lipped when it came to other issues: Higurashi’s relationship with the Lord of the East, for example, or her curriculum at the school, or her beliefs on human-youkai relations. Bankotsu begged, and pleaded, to no avail. So now, he was resorting to more, um, desperate, means.

“I’m mic’d up, right, Kyokotsu?” Bankotsu asked.

The burly man who was Bankotsu’s top tech guy nodded. “Just press this button here to talk to Tube 1, this one for Tube 2, and this one if you want to talk to both.”

“And they’ll be able to reply if I leave the channel open?”

“Yeah,” Kyokotsu said.

“Got it,” Bankotsu replied. “Thanks.”

Kyokotsu nodded again and sat back in his seat, arms crossed.

Banoktsu pressed the button to talk into both tubes. “Good morning, ladies,” he said roughly. “I hope you had a pleasant night.”

“Fuck off!” exclaimed the woman in Tube 2.

Bankotsu chuckled. Yamamoto Sara was feisty. If she wasn’t a test subject in one of his experiments, he would have liked her.

“Now, now, Yamamoto-sama,” he replied, the amusement clear in his voice, “is that any way for a miko to speak?”

“Is this any way for a scientist to behave?” she shot back.

“We all have our priorities, Yamamoto-sama,” Bankotsu sang. “Right now, mine is learning all I can about Higurashi Kagome.”

“I’ve told you everything I know,” the woman in Tube 1 shouted. “Just please, let me go or kill me. Please stop this.” There was a hint of tears in her voice.

“Shut up, Ito-sama,” Bankotsu snapped. He hated when women cried. He much preferred Yamamoto-sama’s zest. “Since you’re not being forthcoming, I have a little something planned to help motivate you. Last chance.”

“Fuck off!” Yamamoto-sama said again.

“Fine,” he said, switching off the mic. He turned to Kyokotsu. “Let’s turn it up to Level 3.”

“Boss,” Kyokotsu said, looking alarmed, “we haven’t been able to get anyone to survive past Level 2.”

“Maybe they’ll be lucky,” Bankotsu sneered. He was tired of the bullshit. Kyokotsu went over to the switchboard and flipped the power for both tubes. They watched as the tubes lit up and began to hum. The tubes needed a few minutes to warm up, so Bankotsu switched the mic back and on pumped some J-pop into the tubes, to help pass the time, snickering as he imagined their reactions to hearing such peppy music as they were about to die.

“We’re warmed up, Ban,” Kyokotsu finally said.

“Excellent,” Bankotsu said. He settled himself in front of the switchboard, Kyokotsu hovering close by to help as needed. Bankotsu slowly turned up the dial on Tube 2, smiling sadly as Yamamoto-sama tensed up in the tube, her mouth open in a silent scream, the light pouring out of her body into the metal rod. He watched the meter slowly rise, and when it hit 10, he stopped. Yamamoto’s body was frozen, her eyes still open in pain. Bankotsu checked her vitals.

“Pulse is steady, but weak,” he said to Kyokotsu. “She made it.”

Kyokotsu scoffed. “For now.”

“Let’s try the other one,” he said, and made to turn up the dial on Tube 1.

“Hold on, Bankotsu,” said a familiar deep voice. Bankotsu turned around.

“Boss!” he said in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

The boss strode forcefully into the room, peering at the monitors and looking at the subjects’ vitals. “You turned Tube 2 up to 3, Bankotsu?” he said harshly.

“Yes, boss,” Bankotsu replied. “So far, she seems to have tolerated it.”

“We’re trying to get information on Higurashi Kagome,” Kyokotsu added.

“Stop what you’re doing,” the boss said, his red eyes gleaming in anticipation. Bankotsu shivered. Whatever the boss had planned, it wasn’t good.

“Come with me, both of you,” he said. “Leave the women for now.”

Bankotsu flipped on the mic quickly. “We’ll be back,” he said. “In the meantime, think about your options carefully, ladies.” He switched off the mic. “Let’s go,” he said to his boss.

The boss led Bankotsu and Kyokotsu out of the screening room and down the hall to the end of the corridor. There was a door there; it was heavy iron, and there was no window. The boss took out a key and unlocked it, pushing heavily against the weight of the door. It creaked open and the boss let his employees inside.

Jakotsu was there at the door to greet them, grinning at his colleagues and waving. Bankotsu rolled his eyes; Jakotsu was good in a fight, if a little overenthusiastic, but otherwise, Bankotsu found him kind of useless.

“Yo, Ban!” Jakotsu said, now hopping up and down in his excitement. “We brought you a new toy!”

At Jakotsu’s use of the word “we,” Bankotsu found himself scouring the room. It was then he realized Jakotsu wasn’t alone. There was a woman in there; her back was to them, but she had graying hair that was tied up in a severe bun. She turned around when Jakotsu spoke; Bankotsu saw she had dark eyes—maybe black.

“Oh,” she said with surprise, “you’re here.”

“Is she ready?” the boss asked.

The woman nodded. “I think she will do nicely,” she added, stepping aside.

Behind the woman, tied to a table, was a young girl, no more than eighteen at most. Her dark hair was pulled up in a ponytail, away from her face; her clothing had been replaced by a hospital gown. She was unconscious, but Bankotsu could see she was breathing normally.

“And she’s a student?” the boss asked.

The woman nodded again. “One of her favorites.”

“Excellent,” the boss replied. He turned to Bankotsu. “You are to prepare this subject for testing,” he said. “Take a photo, and send it to me, along with photos of Ito and Yamamoto.” He smiled coldly. “It’s time we played our hand,” he told them all. “Be prepared.”

“Wait,” said the woman suddenly. They all turned to look at her.

“There’s been...one more development with Higurashi-sama that you all need to know about,” she said slowly. “It’s going to raise the stakes a bit.”

The boss turned to the woman, his eyebrows raised. “Tell me more,” he said, a slow smile spreading across his handsome, dark, face.

* * *

Inuyasha sat at the chabudai, sipping his coffee, his breakfast untouched. He told himself he was waiting for Kagome to join him, but the truth? He didn’t feel like eating  _ anything _ .

The email from Miroku he’d received at midnight the night before, combined with their chat and his meeting with Kikyo, had his stomach churning.

He pulled it out again and read it over carefully.

_ So far in my books I don’t see any cases where a miko readily admitted that joining with her soulmate led to a loss of her powers. In fact, I don’t see anything about mikos who have met their soulmates AT ALL. There’s tons of research on houshi, however, and the research makes clear what I was taught: for houshi, the merging with one’s soulmate results in a strengthening of one’s powers, the bond between soulmates creating a powerful union. I have some books at the school that I will check when Kagome and I get there tomorrow, but for now, I think we have to look at the very real possibility that soulmated mikos are either giving up their powers voluntarily, or being forced to do so. _

_ Please tell me what you learn about Tsubasa Tsubaki tomorrow. I’m attaching a few articles she’s published about the duty of mikos in society, and the language in them mostly matches what Kagome has already said: when a miko marries, she retires and prepares to raise the next generation of spiritualists. But there’s nothing in them about what happens to the miko’s powers. _

_ I’ll pick up Kagome about 9:00. Please let her know, and contact the agent watching your building so they’re aware that I’m coming. We can’t let her out of our sight. _

Inuyasha growled and slammed his coffee cup on the chabudai, the contents sloshing over the sides. His youki was howling to track this Tsubasa woman down and demand she reveal everything she knew about soulmated mikos, but his human side was logical and knew that questioning her without probable cause could bring a lawsuit on his department’s head. He didn’t want to do that to Totosai. So he would wait, and research her, and talk with Miroku and Kikyo, and see what he could piece together.

But he was fucking terrified that this woman would do something to try and seal Kagome’s powers away. He suspected that’s what happened to Kikyo, and to hundreds—if not thousands—of other mikos.

_ Why, though _ ? His brain pulsed and processed and tried to understand.  _ What benefit would that have for Tsubasa? _

Between worrying about Kagome and Tsubasa, and Kagome and Tsuji, he was already exhausted. And his day hadn’t even started yet.

“Inuyasha?” came a sleepy voice from behind him. He turned, and saw Kagome leaning on the counter dividing the kitchen from the rest of the yoshitu, her eyes bleary and barely awake. “What time is it?”

He looked at his phone. “It’s 6:45,” he said.

She frowned. “So early,” she mumbled.

Inuyasha laughed and rose. He went to her side and pulled her tight to his chest. “Good morning,” he rumbled at her pleasantly.

He could feel her smile. “Good morning,” she murmured. She turned her face slightly so she could see the chabudai. “You made breakfast,” she added, surprised.

He laughed and hugged her tighter. “You already know I can cook,” he said into her hair. “You shouldn’t be  _ that _ surprised.” Gods, it was  _ insane _ how much he wanted to stay by her side today. His youki was spilling over, demanding he stay home and watch her. His instincts knew she was in danger, from all sides, and were chafing to be released. He was struggling to keep himself under control, and he hadn’t even left her yet.

She giggled sleepily and pulled away. “It smells delicious,” she said, toddling over to the chabudai and sitting awkwardly on a zabuton. Inuyasha went into the kitchen and poured her a fresh cup of coffee, adding four sugars and a generous amount of milk.

“Here,” he said, setting the coffee down in front of her, “to help you wake up.”

She smiled at him gratefully and clutched the mug in both hands. “How did I get so lucky?” she wondered, holding the mug to her nose and inhaling deeply. Her eyes seemed to brighten as she took in the coffee’s rich aroma.

He blushed.

_ Fuck _ .

_ He loved her _ .

He knew this; he did. But sometimes, the feeling just washed over him, and it was more than he could take.

“So,” she said, suddenly awake and attacking her breakfast with gusto, “what are you up to today?”

“Just the same old,” he said, amused by her shift in demeanor. “I need to leave in about thirty minutes. I’ll check in with Sango, then I have a meeting at 10. Can I bring you lunch today?”

She smiled. “That would be lovely,” she said happily, “if you have time.”

“I always have time,” he replied, offering her a heated, fanged grin. She turned a lovely shade of pink and became suddenly interested in her miso soup.

“What’s your schedule today?” he asked her, prepared to take mental notes.

“Yoga at 10,” she replied in between sips of soup, “and again at noon, but it’s only a 30-minute class, so I’ll be able to visit with you for a bit if you come between 12:30 and 2:00. Then I have to prepare for my spiritualist classes. I have beginner spiritual defense, and then Miroku and I team-teach an intermediate physical and spiritual offense class.”

“How does that work?” he asked, sipping his coffee.

“We’re teaching them how to combine their physical and spiritual skills,” she said. “It’s really more for experienced students, but this group is strong and we wanted to start training them early. We do an advanced class on Thursdays.”

“So a light day for you,” he commented.

“Sort of,” she agreed.

They sat together in amiable silence. Inuyasha thought it…nice…to have her there. He found himself watching her with interest. Her hair was impossibly messy, and stuck out in a variety of directions. Her face had a mark on it from where it had been pressed into her pillow. Her shirt was slipping off her shoulder; she kept yanking at it to bring it back up. She was wearing a pair of his boxers, since she had gone to sleep nude and must have grabbed the first thing she could find when she woke up. Her fingers kept faltering as she tried to use her chopsticks, as though she hadn’t learned to master them yet. She was, in short, sleepy, and, adorable.

He blinked and sat up straight when he realized she’d been calling his name. “Huh?”

Kagome giggled. “I  _ said _ , do you know when Miroku will be here to pick me up?”

“Huh?” he said again. Her giggles evolved to a full laugh, and Inuyasha was struggling to focus. He looked down at his phone and scrolled through his mail until he found the monk’s message. “9:00.”

She yawned and stretched, her shirt both slipping off her shoulder and revealing a band of pink skin at her navel. “So I can go back to sleep, then?”

He barked out a laugh. “You can clear breakfast and feed your cat,” he replied, once again amused.

She then got a faraway look in her eyes, and crawled around to his side of the chabudai. He was suddenly very aware of her, and only her, as she slid into his lap and slipped her arms around his neck.

“Or,” she purred, pressing her blunt teeth into his neck and sucking, “I can help you start your day off on a positive note.”

Inuyasha grabbed her and lifted her into his arms. He turned and laid her on the sofa. “I’ve got thirty minutes,” he whispered into her ear. “Whatever you do, don’t stop.”

“Oh,” she replied breathily, “you’re going to work today with a hickey.”

* * *

Kagome stretched and rubbed her eyes. She’d dozed off again after she and Inuyasha…she giggled and kicked her feet when she remembered the hot, hot sex they’d had not even an hour before on the sofa. Who knew morning sex would make her into a morning person?

Maybe she could get him to join her in a little lunchtime activity when he came to see her that afternoon.

_ Gods _ , she thought as she headed to the shower to rinse off,  _ I am really becoming addicted to him _ .

And she was. There was something about him—again, whether it was the gods’ decree, or his natural sensuality, or the way his golden eyes blazed at her—she just felt like she couldn’t get enough of him. They’d made love several times the night before—Kagome turned on the shower nozzle and shivered as she looked down at her body, which was littered with bites and scratches and hickeys—and once again this morning. And she still was hungry for him. She ran the water over her body, feeling regretful that she was washing  _ him _ away, but also cognizant of the fact that she could not go about her day reeking of Inuyasha and sex. No matter how much she wanted to.

Kagome stepped out of the bathroom and padded back to the bedroom, where her clothes were laid out on the futon. Nothing fancy; yoga clothes for yoga, and fresh miko robes for her spiritual classes. She slipped on a sports bra and panties, then pulled on leggings, a tank top, and a long-sleeve shirt with the collar cut out, not caring if any evidence of the previous evening’s activities showed. She packed her miko robes in her duffel bag, mindful of her laptop, which she hadn’t removed the night before. She was about to go back into the bathroom to freshen up when her phone began to buzz. Smiling, thinking that Inuyasha missed her already, Kagome picked it up. What she saw made her scream and drop her phone in horror.

There were three pictures from an unknown number: women, in varying states of undress, sliced open and clearly in exceptional pain. Kagome knelt down on the floor and, with shaking hands, opened the message so she could get a better look at the women. She realized with a gasp that she knew them all: Ito Naomi, Yamamoto Sara, and Nomura Sakura.

Her friends.

Her student.

Her beautiful, talented student.

Kagome ran to the bathroom and threw herself around the toilet bowl just in time; she began to lurch and vomit up the exquisite breakfast Inuyasha had made for her. When she had nothing left in her stomach, she leaned back against the wall, her chest heaving. Kagome fought back the wave of panic that threatened to take over her mind. Instead, she pulled herself to her feet, stumbled back down the hall to the bedroom, and looked at the phone again. She swallowed thickly at the pictures, but then saw a message below them:

_ 2 Chome 12-3 Osaki, Shinagawa City _

_ Noon _

_ No cops. No NPA. _

Kagome froze. No NPA meant no Inuyasha, no Sango, no Miroku—he’d just tell Sango, and then they would be nowhere.

She thought hard. She needed to rescue her friends, and her student. She suspected they were taken to get to her—and whoever took them expected that now she’d go willingly. Instead of being a kidnapping victim, no one would know she was missing. There would be no signs of a struggle; no signs that anyone had taken her.

_ This is what they want _ , she thought with a jolt.  _ For me to disappear into thin air. _

Kagome grimaced and typed out a message into her phone.

_ Meet me at this location ASAP. Bring the G and my B/Q from the school. We have to talk _ .

Kagome hit Send, then opened her Web browser. When she found what she was looking for, she sent the link along. Then, she went into the closet, where she had put away her large duffel, and began to dig through it.

As she searched, Kagome became increasingly enraged. Who the  _ fuck _ thought they could just take people she cared for and get away with it? Who the  _ fuck _ thought she’d come quietly and willingly?

_ No one who knows Higurashi Kagome _ , she thought with a grim smile. She’d found what she was looking for.

And oh, people were going to die. Today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who did Kagome contact? What are they bringing to her, and where? How long will it take Inuyasha to go apeshit when he learns about Kagome's plans? (LOL, not long, obvis.) Find out this, and more, at the next update!...which will be...
> 
> Next Sunday!
> 
> I'll be posting updates to SS just on Sundays for the rest of August, because I have a NEW story that I'm very excited to share with you all, and I'll be posting teasers (plus a very special announcement that you won't want to miss) for it all week! Be sure to follow me on [Tumblr](https://fawn-eyed-girl.tumblr.com/) for all the details. It's gonna be a really fun week!
> 
> Thanks everyone so much for reading, and see you soon! <3


	26. Kagome's Secret Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome lays out her plan to someone. Will they agree to help her? Inuyasha and Sango investigate another murder, and Inuyasha meets with someone important.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you're safe and doing well.
> 
> I'm super excited to bring you the next chapter of Spirited Soulmates! In this chapter, some answers will be revealed, and new questions will be posed! Please enjoy!

Kagome sat in the café, a large iced coffee and a large black coffee in front of her, her leg bouncing uncontrollably. She kept a close watch on the door, waiting for her appointment.

She knew that she shouldn’t be doing this. She really did.

But, she didn’t see how she had any other options.

She sent a message to her yoga students, letting them know classes were canceled. She texted Miroku, said she wasn’t feeling well, and that she would just stay at Inuyasha’s until afternoon classes started. She knew that wouldn’t buy her a lot of time, but she didn’t need a lot.

Just enough to get out to Shinagawa without getting caught.

At last, the door to the café opened, and a familiar burst of youki came barreling in her direction. Kagome sighed and put up a barrier to protect herself. She smiled grimly as her appointment strolled up and slipped into the seat across from her.

“You wanted this?” Kouga asked, offering Kagome her bow and quiver of arrows.

Kagome smiled fondly at her weapon, as though greeting an old friend. “Hi to you too, Kouga,” she said, barely looking at him.

“Kagome,” he said roughly, finally grabbing her attention, “what’s going on? Why are we all the way out in Nakameguro at a damn café? Why did I have to go to the school for you?” His bright blue eyes bore into her stormy ones. “Are you okay?” He paused. “You can’t be, if you asked for that and you asked me to bring the…”

“Not here, Kouga!” Kagome hissed, reaching across the table and grabbing his hand. “Not here.”

“So something _is_ going on,” he confirmed, nodding. His face became confused. “Then why am I here, and not the mutt?”

“The text said no cops and no NPA,” she replied. Kagome pulled out her phone and handed it to Kouga. The Eastern Lord looked at the message and blanched.

“Whoever is taking the mikos wants you,” he said.

“They do,” she replied.

“And you’re planning to…what? Go out to Shinagawa—to this fucking address—and turn yourself in?”

“Kouga,” she sighed.

“Because you’ll do that over my dead body, you know,” he informed her.

“I _know_ that, Kouga,” she insisted. “I wouldn’t have asked you here if I was gonna do that.”

Kouga leaned back in his seat; she pushed the black coffee across the table to him. “You’ll like it,” she said. “It’s a nice dark roast.” He lifted it to his nose and sniffed; then, finding it satisfactory, he took a tentative sip, still eyeing her suspiciously.

“It’s good,” he admitted, “but that still doesn’t answer why we’re here, of all places.”

“You won’t like it,” she sighed.

“Probably not,” he agreed, “but why don’t you tell me anyway?”

“Inuyasha insisted I come stay with him indefinitely, Kouga,” she replied. “He lives around the corner from here.”

Kouga growled, but sipped his coffee and said nothing.

“Can you—can you help me?” she asked.

“Help you with what?” replied the Lord of the East.

Kagome’s eyes glinted. “I want to go rescue the women,” she said. “I want to go to Osaki—to Shinagawa-ku—and get them back.” Then glint spread to a slow smile. “And I want you to help me.”

Kouga didn’t say a word. He sat, sipping his coffee, in deadly silence. Kagome perched on the edge of her seat in anticipation. What would he say?...

Finally, he set the coffee down and looked her hard in the face, his brilliant blue eyes serious. “If I say no,” he said slowly, “you’re going without me, aren’t you?”

She nodded, meeting his gaze.

Kouga sighed. “I could just call the mutt right now,” he said, reaching up to tighten his ponytail.

“But you won’t,” she pointed out.

He sighed again. “You’re going to be the death of me, Higurashi,” he said.

“But not today,” she countered.

Kouga looked her over; her blue-gray eyes were steely with resolve, and her jaw was firmly set. He knew that if he said no, she really would go alone, and if he called the mutt, the women could die. He didn’t have much of a choice.

“Okay,” he said, “okay. I’ll help you.” Her face lit up, but he shook his head. “At the _first_ sign of danger, I am getting you the fuck out of there. I don’t care if you purify me into next week, or next month, or oblivion. Your safety is the single most important thing to me in the entire world. And I will die before I let those fuckers get their hands on you. Got it?”

Kagome nodded, still unable to hide her glee. “I got it, Kouga.” Her grin was dark; her reiki started sparking a deep pink. “I’m ready.”

* * *

Work was hitting fast and furious that morning. Inuyasha sighed as he pulled into the lot across from a park in Kita-ku. A call had come in that two runners had found a body on their morning jog, and he and Sango were there to check it out. They’d barely had time to chat at headquarters when Totosai came barreling down the corridor, barking their names, insisting that they get out to Kita-ku ASAP. Inuyasha was so fucking frustrated—he wanted to get together the evidence to issue at least a search warrant for Tsuji’s buildings _and_ look into Tsubasa Tsubaki!—but for now, duty was calling. Tsuji would have to wait, at least past his morning meeting.

 _But then_ , Inuyasha thought, _I’m coming for you, you bastard_.

The neighborhood in Kita-ku was quiet, with small condominium buildings and few shops. Inuyasha kind of liked it; it reminded him of parts of Nakameguro, except for the whole finding-dead-bodies thing.

The local police department was already on the scene; they had cordoned off the area where the body was found, and Inuyasha and Sango found them talking with the witnesses who had called in the body. When they approached, the two police officers jumped to their feet, but Inuyasha flashed his badge.

“Matsushita Inuyasha and Murasaki Sango, Criminal Affairs Bureau, NPA,” he said. “This case is under our jurisdiction.”

The taller of the two officers, a woman whose nameplate read “Wakeda,” replied. “Why is the NPA interested in this case”?” she shot back.

“Because we have reason to believe this is one of our missing mikos,” Inuyasha barked, “so back the hell up.”

“Matsushita…” growled Sango warningly.

Fuck, he didn’t care. These officers were in their way, and he had shit to do. “Our ME will be here shortly,” he said. “We need to see the body. Or are ya gonna hold up that part of the investigation, too?”

Wakeda sighed. “The victim is through here,” she said, leading them through a small gate and towards the main building. “There’s a path that runs from the building to the swimming pool,” she explained. “The joggers were running on the path, and saw something suspicious off to the side.” She led them off to the side. “Here.”

Inuyasha and Sango looked at each other. They knew.

“Well, Wakeda,” Sango said with a sigh, “this is officially an NPA Criminal Affairs Bureau case. This state of this body matches those of our mikos that we’ve already found.” She looked at Inuyasha. “I’ll call headquarters and report in. We’ll need dental records for Ishikawa, Ito, and Yamamoto. It has to be one of them.” She paused. “You need to call Kagome, too. See if she can meet us at headquarters to inspect the body.”

“I’ll do that,” he said, taking out his phone and finding her in his contacts. “Voicemail,” he muttered. “Hey,” he said, “it’s me. I need you to call me ASAP. We found another miko in Kita-ku, and I need you to meet us at the station as soon as you can.” He paused. “I love you,” he added. “Be careful.”

Inuyasha disconnected the call and turned to Sango. “Maybe I should go get her,” he said.

“She’ll call back,” Sango replied. “It’ll be fine.”

Inuyasha looked at the time on his phone. 9:30. He was going to be late to his 10:00 appointment. He dashed off a text.

 _Running late. At a crime scene in Kita. Will text when on my way_.

He prayed that his appointment would wait for him.

“Ah, Hojo,” Sango said, drawing Inuyasha’s attention away from his phone. Inuyasha looked up and saw Hojo there, in full gear, pulling on his gloves.

“Murasaki,” he said. He paused when he saw Inuyasha. “Matsushita,” he added, a slight growl in his voice.

“Hojo,” replied Inuyasha, his voice soft, his eyes downcast. He knew he’d acted like a jealous ass the last time they talked. Hojo seemed to detect the apology in Inuyasha’s voice, and nodded.

“What do we have here?” he asked. Sango directed him to the body, while Inuyasha’s phone pinged.

 _I only have until noon. I’ll find a place to meet in Kita and text you the address. I’ll be waiting_.

He smiled grimly, and looked back at Sango and Hojo, now kneeling over the body, both wearing masks and gloves. Inuyasha sighed.

 _Okay_ , he texted back.

He hoped Kagome was safe.

* * *

So, while one big reason Kagome had asked Kouga for help was that he wasn’t a cop and he wouldn’t rat on her, the other reason was his car. She knew he liked to go fast, and since youkai weren’t allowed to use their natural speed as much anymore, many of them turned to sportscars (like Inuyasha and his Subaru) to help them make the adjustment. Kouga’s Acura NSX was bright orange and sexy as hell— _maybe the sexiest thing about Kouga_ , Kagome thought wryly.

Actually, that wasn’t true. He was super handsome, and kind, and generally pleasant to be around…when he wasn’t invading her personal space. Which, until he and Inuyasha had it out over her, was fairly recently.

 _Still_ , she thought as he sped down the highway, _he will maybe make someone, someday, very happy_. And while she loved him, very much, she was relieved that it wouldn’t be her. Because, in her heart of hearts, if she _had_ dated Kouga, and if it hadn’t worked out…she would have missed him too much. And she wasn’t willing to put their friendship—or her career—on the line for something that could never be.

“Any word on what’s at that address you were sent?” Kouga asked her. “We’ll be in Osaki in a few.”

Kagome punched the address into her phone, and gasped. “Kouga,” she said with a kind of quiet desperation in her voice, “pull over.” He turned to look at her, surprised.

“As soon as you can!” she yelled, feeling her reiki starting to swell around her. She took a deep breath and pulled it back under control. “Please,” she whispered. Why, oh why, hadn’t she thought to check the address before they left?

Kouga grunted, but hung a right off the highway in Osaki and turned down past the police station and the local university branch. He pulled into a campus parking lot—“I dare the fucking cops to give the Lord of the East a parking ticket,” he growled—and turned to Kagome.

“Okay,” he said. “We’re stopped. What’s up?”

Kagome held out her phone with a shaking hand. “I know who has the mikos,” she said, her voice quavering. “And I think I might know why.”

Kouga took her phone and looked at the information she’d gleaned about the address from a quick internet search. His eyes grew wide.

“We have to call the mutt,” he said.

“No fucking way,” Kagome insisted. “The text clearly said no cops.”

“Then—and I can’t believe I’m fucking saying this—I’m calling Sesshomaru,” he retorted. “You can’t just go in there arrows blazing, Kagome. You’re gonna get killed. We need backup, and no one is better in a fight than the Lord of the West.”

“Don’t you dare call _anyone_ ,” she hissed. “We have to play this smart.”

“Holy fuck, woman,” he bellowed, “and you think breaking in _here_ is fucking smart?” He crossed his arms and nodded at her, his ponytail bouncing. “No. Fucking. Way.”

“Do you have a better idea?” she shot back. When he opened his mouth to reply, she added, “one that doesn’t involve calling Inuyasha or his brother?” He shut his mouth and paused, his brow furrowed in thought.

“I can call Ginta and Hakkaku,” he said at last. “They’re pretty useless in general, but if something happens, they can get us help.”

Kagome paused. “Okay,” she agreed. “But I get to tell them what to say.”

“Kagome…” Kouga warned her. Ginta and Hakkaku were his betas, not hers. She knew this.

“It’s my ass on the line, Kouga,” she pointed out. “Please.”

He grumbled, but rang Ginta anyway. “Fine,” he acquiesced. “But if I don’t like _anything_ you say, then I’m gonna cut this off. Are we clear?”

“Crystal,” she said, and he grunted as Ginta answered the phone.

“Ginta,” Kouga said. “Kagome and I are in a little trouble. Nothing we can’t handle, but we need your help.”

“ _You got it boss_ ,” came Ginta’s gravely tenor through the phone. “ _What can we do for you_?”

“Hi Ginta,” Kagome said.

“ _Nee-chan_!” Ginta replied enthusiastically. “ _What kind of trouble are you two in now_?”

“Oh, you know,” Kagome said casually, “just saving humankind. That’s all.”

Ginta laughed. “ _Because what else would you be doing on a Tuesday?_ ” he answered. “ _What do you need_?”

“We’re going to be infiltrating a building,” explained Kagome, as briefly as possible. “We’re planning on heading in there within the next hour. If you don’t hear from us by noon, even just to say we’re okay, I need you call a number and give them an address. Tell them we’re in trouble, and we need the NPA to come get us, guns blazing.” Kouga’s eyes grew wide at Kagome’s mention of weaponry. So she _did_ realize how serious this was.

“Listen, Ginta,” Kouga added, “it’s the mutt’s number. He’ll know what to do with the address. Tell him Kagome’s in danger, and he needs to get to the address we’re gonna send you. I promise, he’ll know.”

“ _Detective Matsushita_?” came Ginta’s voice over the speaker, now gravelly and confused. “ _Why the hell—_ ”

“Dammit, Ginta,” growled Kouga, “don’t ask questions! Just please do what we ask.”

They heard Ginta sigh. “ _Fine_ ,” he said, “ _fine. Just…why don’t you call him now_?”

“Because Kouga and I can get in and out just fine by ourselves,” answered Kagome smoothly. “We’ll be okay; this is an insurance policy, that’s all.”

Ginta was silent for a bit. Kagome and Kouga listened with baited breath. Would he do what they asked?

“ _All right_ ,” he agreed. “ _But if I don’t hear from you by noon—even a one-word text—I’m calling the detective_.”

“Fair,” said Kouga. He paused. “Thanks, Ginta.”

“ _Whatever you’re doing_ ,” Ginta said, “ _just please be careful_.”

“We will, Ginta,” Kagome replied. “And I promise to get his Lordship back to you safely.”

Kouga growled again, but smiled grimly at her as he disconnected the call.

“Well,” he said with a sigh, “let’s take a few minutes and figure out how in all the hells we’re going break into a building like this.”

* * *

“Ishikawa Ayumi,” Inuyasha said to Kikyo. “She’s the latest victim.”

“I’m sorry, Inuyasha,” Kikyo replied. “I know you never liked this part of your job.”

Kikyo was right. He fucking hated when they got IDs on victims. It made their deaths seem so real—they were real people, with families, with jobs, with dreams and with purpose. But it also was part of what lit the fires of justice within him. He wanted to find who took the lives of the innocent, to make them pay. Once upon a time, he would have made a great vigilante; by today’s standards, vigilantes were at best revered, at worst arrested for interfering in police investigations. Being an NPA detective was a good compromise: unimpeded by the rules of the Metro PD, but still having to answer to someone. Especially since that someone was his late Lord Father’s former adviser.

“What will you do now, Inuyasha?” Kikyo asked, rubbing her slightly swollen belly absently. She’d found a small coffee shop in Kita, only a few minutes’ walk from the park where Ishikawa’s body had been found. She was drinking a hot chocolate; he had coffee with a little cream.

Inuyasha sighed. “I’ve been trying to reach Higurashi,” he said. “I need her to come down to headquarters to check the body. She’s been helping us detect residual auras.”

Kikyo nodded. “I bet she’s been a huge help to you.”

“She has,” he agreed. “But I’m a little worried that I haven’t heard from her.”

“So tell me why you wanted to meet,” Kikyo said, not quite changing the subject, but needing to get to the point.

“It’s Higurashi,” he said. “You were fucking right that she needed help yesterday.”

Kikyo’s large dark eyes narrowed. “It was Tsubasa Tsubaki, wasn’t it?”

“How did you know?” he asked, surprised.

Kikyo lifted her hot chocolate to her lips and slowly sipped. “ _Kikyo_ ,” Inuyasha said, leaning forward and gazing intently into her eyes. “If you know something, you _have_ to tell me.”

Kikyo closed her eyes to break the connection, took a deep breath, then opened her eyes again. “The Spiritualist Society—no, spiritualism in general—isn’t what you think,” she said quietly.

“What I think?” he repeated, his amber eyes blinking in confusion.

“They…” Kikyo sighed, then looked around to make sure no one was listening.

“If there’s anyone suspicious, I’ll scent them out,” Inuyasha assured her. “You’re safe here.”

Kikyo give a slight nod and set her hot chocolate down. She fiddled with her hands. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“So why did you say I need to protect Kagome?” he asked.

“Now that you’ve found each other,” she replied softly, “she becomes both a desired object and a liability.”

Inuyasha stared at Kikyo, his ears twitching madly. He was still confused.

Kikyo must have seen the way he was twisting his face. “Have you noticed a difference in her power since you…joined?” she asked, blushing at the insinuation of her words.

“We have.” Inuyasha’s voice was firm, hard. He refused to be embarrassed by his love for his soulmate. Not in front of Kikyo; not in front of anyone.

“Right,” Kikyo said, more to herself than to Inuyasha, smiling slightly in the face of his determination. “She’s stronger.”

“Much.” _She blew up her ceiling_.

“That’s what happens when a miko finds her soulmate,” Kikyo continued. “Her power increases exponentially. To the point where, in some cases, it’s uncontrollable.”

“So then why don’t we ever see soulmated mikos in public? If they had this much power, wouldn’t there be some kind of effort to work with them, help them try to control it?” Inuyasha asked. Things were still not really making sense to him.

“Because all that power…” Kikyo was whispering; if it weren’t for his exceptional hearing, Inuyasha would have missed what she was saying. “All that power makes a soulmated miko a danger. To the Society. To the established order of things.”

“Kikyo,” Inuyasha gasped, horrified and fearful of what she was about to say, “what happened to you?”

“When Suikotsu and I…you know,” she said.

He did.

“Tsubaki-sama came to see me not long after that,” she continued. “She was very congratulatory, and insisted that I come see her so we could talk about the logistics of my work after I got married. Foolishly, I agreed. I had been working on a few projects; one in particular looked at the changing role of mikos in society.” She laughed quietly. “I don’t think Tsubaki-sama liked that one very much.”

“She has strict ideas about mikos,” Inuyasha commented.

“She does,” answered Kikyo, looking at him in surprise.

“I did some reading,” he murmured.

Kikyo smiled softly. “I went to see her,” she continued, “thinking we would spend some time chatting about my latest research. I went into her office expecting tea, which I got, and, which I drank. I left groggy and powerless, with a scar, here.” She moved the collar of her sweater down and slightly right. There was a thin line of scar tissue there; Inuyasha could barely make it out.

But he knew what it was. He’d seen it before.

 _Holy. Fuck_.

Inuyasha stared at her, his mouth hanging open. “Kikyo…”

Her laugh was now bitter. “I was a fool, Inuyasha,” she said, “a damn fool.”

He reached across the table and held her hands. “You were not a fool,” he said gently. “You were doing what you thought best.”

“How many women has Tsubaki-sama done this to, though?” she exclaimed, the anger radiating off of her. “How many of us have had our livelihoods ripped away, and for what? To maintain the ‘order of things’?” To keep the status quo?” She squeezed his hands. “That’s why you have to protect Higurashi-sama. You can’t let them do to her what they did to me. What they’ve probably done to countless other mikos before me.”

“But it doesn’t make any sense, Kikyo,” Inuyasha said, shaking his head in disbelief. “What is the big deal about letting soulmated mikos continue their work?”

Kikyo smiled grimly. “You said Higurashi-san’s power has increased?”

He nodded. “She blew up her apartment ceiling the other night.”

Kikyo let out a breath. “That’s—that’s pretty awesome, Inuyasha.”

He barked out a laugh. “Not in the moment, it wasn’t.”

“I suppose not,” she said thoughtfully. “But there are definitely those who are going to want to stifle that power, and others who are going to want to harness it. Tsubaki-sama wants to suppress it—to keep mikos in line.”

“But why?” Inuyasha burst out. “I don’t get it!”

Kikyo frowned. “Imagine if you were the head of a society of very powerful people, and some of those people got more and more powerful. How would you maintain control? How would you keep the laws that govern your society in place?”

“Um, by running it democratically?” Inuyasha cocked his head to one side, ears twitching again. “Or at least, by having a democratic body?”

“That’s one way,” Kikyo said. “Or…you could actively oppress the powers of those who become more powerful than you.”

“Keep them in line,” Inuyasha said, finally understanding. “Have them fulfill the duties you lay out for them.”

Kikyo said nothing and sipped her hot chocolate. But her eyes told Inuyasha he was right.

“Houshi also grow in power,” Inuyasha commented. “Murasaki Miroku told me.”

“Not in comparison to mikos,” she whispered, effectively ending that train of thought.

Inuyasha paused, thinking. “You also said…there are people who are going to want to harness that power,” he said slowly. “What did you mean by that?”

Kikyo’s eyes grew wide, and she opened her mouth to reply, but at that moment, Inuyasha’s phone pinged. He looked at her, questioning.

“Go ahead,” she encouraged him. “I know you’ve been waiting for her to call.”

But it wasn’t Kagome. It was Miroku.

 _Was Kagome sick this morning? She canceled her yoga classes and told me she’d see me at the school this afternoon_.

Inuyasha read the message several times, his face paling in his mounting concern.

“Inuyasha…?” Kikyo asked hesitantly. “Is everything all right?”

Inuyasha put up a finger to pause her, then typed back.

 _No, bouzo. When I left she was dozing on the couch, but definitely expecting you at 9_.

He frowned, trying to stamp down the panic rising in his chest. It wasn’t like her to cancel class.

The three dots on the left side of the screen indicated Miroku was typing back, but he didn’t get a chance to see what Miroku was going to say, because his phone now started buzzing like crazy. He answered without looking to see who it was. “What?!” he bellowed.

“ _If that’s how you always answer your calls, it’s no wonder you’re single_ ,” Totosai chastised him.

“I’m not fucking single, Captain,” Inuyasha growled, “and what do you want?”

He swore he heard his bastard boss chuckle. “ _She finally told you, huh_?”

Did everyone fucking know but him?

“ _I need you to get to Asakusa ASAP,_ ” Totosai continued. “ _We’ve got another missing miko reported_.”

“I’m still in Kita following up on a lead, Captain,” Inuyasha replied. “But either Murasaki or I will be there as fast as we can.”

“ _You’re not gonna be able to wait on this one, Matsushita_ ,” answered Totosai. “ _The name of the missing girl is Nomura Sakura. Does that ring a bell?_ ”

Inuyasha thought long and hard. Did he know that name?

_Wait…_

“She’s one of Higurashi’s students,” he breathed. _Fuck._

“ _I’ll text you the address,_ ” Totosai continued. “ _Apparently, she didn’t show up for school, but her mother confirmed she left at her usual time. With all the activity lately, her mother thought it best to call the PD. And they put the call through to us.”_

“Higurashi’s not answering her cell, Captain,” Inuyasha said. “I haven’t heard from her since I left her at home this morning, and Murasaki’s husband hasn’t been able to reach her, either.”

 _“Just get to Asakusa as fast as you can_ ,” Totosai said. “ _Murasaki and I will meet you there. I’m texting you the address._ ”

Inuyasha disconnected the call and rose to his feet. “Can I drop you somewhere between here and Asakusa, Kikyo?” he asked. “I’ve got to go, but I really appreciate you coming all the way out here to talk to me.” He paused. “You’ve been a _huge_ fucking help. More than you know.”

Kikyo smiled and stood, too, “I think it’s best if we leave separately, actually,” she replied, “but I do appreciate the offer.” She leaned forward and squeezed his arm. “Now you know,” she said, “you know what’s at stake. If Higurashi-sama has disappeared…”

“It can’t be fucking good,” he finished.

“No, it can’t,” she agreed. “I know your captain wants you to get to Asakusa, but…”

“I need to fucking find her.” His language was going out of control more than usual, but he couldn’t help it. He’d give up a few extra swear words in favor of his sanity.

“You do,” said Kikyo. She paused. “Go to Asakusa,” she said after a moment. “Talk to your captain, and to Murasaki-san. Talk to the girl’s mother. You might be able to learn something that will help you figure out where to start your search.”

The problem was, Inuyasha already knew where to start his search. But that was almost an hour away, on the complete opposite side of the city. He couldn’t help but feel like this whole thing—finding Ishikawa here, the missing girl in Asakusa—it was all a distraction, to keep him from going where he just _knew_ he was needed.

And yet, his hands were totally fucking tied. He repressed the urge to growl when he saw Kikyo’s pale, concerned face.

“Thank you, Kikyo,” he said instead.

“Go,” she said again. “And good luck.”

Inuyasha nodded once, then turned and left the café. He walked briskly back to his car.

He needed to think about what the _fuck_ to do next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where are Kouga and Kagome going, and how will they get into the building? What will Inuyasha do next, and how long will he be able to keep his shit together? Find out all this, and more, in the next update! See you all next Sunday, and as always, thanks so very much for reading!!


	27. Visceral Reactions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome and Kouga infiltrate the location where the mikos were taken. Inuyasha and Sango investigate the missing student; they make a shocking discovery, and Inuyasha loses his shit.
> 
> Featuring commissioned artwork by [dreaming-of-soup](https://dreaming-of-soup.tumblr.com/)!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you are safe and well!
> 
> I am _so_ excited to bring you this chapter of Spirited Soulmates! It may have been my favorite chapter to write (even more than fang smoots, lol). Please enjoy!!

“This better work, Kouga,” Kagome muttered under her breath as she carried the large, heavy box towards the building.

Kouga laughed. “No worries, Kagome,” he said with a grin. “Kitsune magic always works.”

Kagome sighed. How did she let Kouga rope her into this?

Oh, yeah, right. _She_ had roped _him_ into helping her. So, who was she to complain about his methods?

Kagome shifted the boxes and tried not to groan under their weight. Kouga had come up with the “brilliant” idea of using kitsune magic to disguise themselves in order to get into the building. _Why_ he had kitsune concealment charms at the ready was a question she planned to ask him another day; for now, she just balanced the boxes as best she could.

Kouga opened the door to the building for her; Kagome slipped in between the people coming and going. He held the door for a few people before following her inside. Kouga took two boxes to help alleviate the weight she had to carry, and led the way up to the front desk.

A pale, light-haired girl sat behind the desk. She looked up at them, clearly bored.

“Deliveries for a Bankotsu?” Kouga said gruffly. Kagome felt insanely nervous; Kouga was perfectly cool. How was he managing that?

“Third floor,” the girl said flippantly, gesturing towards the elevators.

“Thanks.” Kouga flashed the receptionist a toothy grin, then hooked his head in the direction of the elevators. He took off; Kagome followed.

Once they were out of sight of the front desk, Kouga stopped. “Which way to the warehouse, do you think?” he asked Kagome.

“Do you think that’s where they are?” Kagome asked.

“Makes sense, right?” Kouga replied. “Too many people coming and going here. Too many _well-dressed_ people. The mikos have to be somewhere that it’s easier to hide them.”

Kagome paused and thought for a moment. What he said made sense, but…

“Doesn’t that seem too easy, though?” she asked. “If it were me, I’d be hiding the women in the less-obvious space.”

Kouga was silent, thinking over her reasoning.

“We could split up,” she suggested. “You check the warehouse, and I explore here a bit.”

“No fucking way,” he shot back. “Did you forget the whole ‘your safety is paramount to me’ thing?”

“I did not, thank you very much,” she responded hotly. “I only thought—”

“—you only thought wrong, _Ka-Go-Me_ ,” Kouga hissed. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

Kagome propped the boxes on one knee and rubbed her face in frustration. “Dammit,” she said, “they’re in here, Kouga, I can feel it. We just have to find them.”

“Fine.” His voice was flat. “We start here. You keep your reiki under wraps for as long as you can; I’ll use my youki to see what I can find out. I’m not total shit at disguising it; I haven’t lived this long as a youkai lord without having some talents.”

“All right,” she acquiesced. “Let’s go, then.”

Kagome and Kouga made their way over to the elevator. They waited until an empty one opened up, and stepped inside. Kagome noticed that although there was only an up button outside the elevator shaft, in the elevator itself there were two floors that were presumably below them: “B” and “BB.” Each one had a keyhole next to it.

“Fuck,” Kouga muttered. “We definitely have to go down, then, and this is definitely not gonna fucking work.”

“Hold on, Kouga,” Kagome murmured. Once the elevator doors were closed, she hit the Stop button, and they removed their kitsune concealments. Kagome watched as Kouga's ears elongated, and his mouth became full of fangs once more. She looked slowly around the elevator. “Is there a camera in here?”

Kouga’s sharp eyes scouted the car. They were drawn to a corner in the ceiling. “There,” he mouthed.

“Okay,” she mouthed back. She uttered a few words, and held out her right hand. A shot of reiki leapt forth, like a lightning bolt, and took out the camera.

Kouga let out a huge breath. “Damn, Kagome,” he said, no longer having to be quiet, “when did you learn to do _that_?”

Kagome frowned. “You don’t want to know,” she replied.

“Is it because…?”

She nodded.

Kouga shut his mouth. She was right. He _didn’t_ want to know.

Kagome turned her attention back to the two levels with key access. “I think I can use my reiki to open these,” she said.

“Like picking a lock?”

She grimaced. “Kind of.” She looked at the two floor designations. “Where do we start?”

Kouga peered over her shoulder. “BB?” he proposed.

She shrugged. “Why not?” She turned to look at him; their faces were close.

“Kouga,” she whispered; his piercing blue eyes were holding her steely-gray ones in place.

He hummed a response and brought his face in closer.

“Personal space, Kouga,” she gently reminded him. He blinked, then stood up, his cheeks flushed.

Kagome rolled her eyes. Would he _ever_ get the hint?

“Be ready with you-know-what,” she said. He cracked his knuckles at her as she set her boxes down and opened the top one. She pulled her bow and quiver out, hooking them over her shoulder.

“Not exactly close-quarters combat weapons, Kagome,” Kouga gently chided her.

Kagome turned to face him. “Oh,” she said, “don’t worry. I’ve got something for that, too.” And she pulled her jacket to the side, revealing a long knife strapped to her waist. “I’m ready for short-range fighting, too.”

Kouga chuckled. “You sure as fuck are.” His face grew hard. “I’m not gonna unleash the full power of the Goraishi unless it’s necessary, just so you know,” he told her. “I don’t wanna bring half the building down for no reason.”

“Duly noted,” she replied, and brought the first and middle fingers of her right hand together to make a point. She held them over the access lock on the floor they wanted to get to, and closed her eyes, slipping into a meditative state. Kouga watched as she drew her power into her fingertips with a long, deep breath. Then, she pushed it out her breath, and with it, the pink light of her reiki. Her reiki sparked and sizzled against the metal access lock; with a snap, the lock clicked into place. Kouga depressed the Stop button again, and the elevator began to move. He stepped in front of Kagome, snarling softly; she took her place behind him, slightly to the left, and nocked an arrow.

They were ready.

The elevator doors pinged open, and Kouga held up a finger to tell Kagome to wait. Anger twisted her expression for a moment, but she pulled herself together enough to be ready to back him up. Kouga stepped out of the elevator and looked left, then right. He hooked a finger in her direction, and she followed him out.

“Which way?” he breathed.

“Do you think I can use my reiki?” she whispered. “I can try and disguise it.”

“Let me,” he said. “We already know there are youkai around here; any reiki will be detected a lot more quickly.”

She gave him a curt nod, and he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, willing his youki to come forth. Kagome only felt it for a flash before he disguised it; from there, she didn’t know what he did or where it went. She smiled. He’d always been good in a fight. She definitely did the right thing asking him to come along.

Kouga’s eyes slowly opened as he called his youki back. He jerked his head to the right and took off down the hall, creeping stealthily, staying close to the sides of the corridor, in the shadows. Kagome followed him exactly; she walked where he did, and paused when he did. At the same time, she tried to pay attention to where they were going, looking for markers. There weren’t many; the hallways were concrete bricks, and there were no doors to speak of. The corridor ran in a straight line. At least if they needed to get back quickly, they wouldn’t have a difficult time of it.

Kagome stilled as Kouga suddenly put his hand up. Here, the corridor split. She could tell he was listening intently, then turned off down to the left. Kagome followed, arrow still nocked and at the ready. She was more than prepared to back him up.

At last they stopped in front of a concrete door with a tiny glass window covered with bars. Kouga pulled himself up to his full height and peered in. He turned to Kagome, nodded once, and prepared to kick the door open. Kagome panicked and grabbed him by the arm, gripping her bow and arrow in one hand. “Wait!” she mouthed when he looked at her in surprise. She nodded at the door handle; his face lit up in recognition of her idea. Try the handle first. _Of course_.

Kouga tried the handle, and to their great surprise, it turned easily. He turned to her. “This is bad,” he breathed. “Be ready.”

Kagome was confused. Why would the open door be bad?

Kouga pushed the door open, then let out a loud yell and brought forth the Goraishi, his ancient ookami weapon that only the Eastern Lord could use. The flash from his claws and his weapon made it hard for Kagome to see; she pushed inside the room and hurriedly scouted, trying to seek out the enemy.

What she saw shook her to her very core. She immediately let her arrow fly, only to have her opponent reach up and grab it, effectively rendering it useless.

Tsubasa Tsubaki tossed Kagome’s arrow aside like it was a pencil, and flashed her a slow, dark smile. Tsubasa then held out her hands, ready to unleash her reiki on Kouga, who was frantically parrying against a large human with a massive flail. Each time the spiked end came close, Kouga immediately struck it with the Goraishi, causing it to recoil backwards and away from him. But the man wielding it was enormous, and strong, and although he was no match for Kouga in terms of agility, in the confines of this room, he was clearly close to even with the ookami in strength. Around and around the room they went, their weapons clanging and sparking. Kagome knew Kouga needed to put a little more distance between himself and the man in order to fully unleash the Goraishi’s power; it seemed like the man, who was refusing to grant Kouga that distance, understood that. So instead of aiming as Tsubasa, Kagome nocked an arrow and aimed for the man, mindful of Kouga’s position.

“Kouga!” she screamed as her reiki-infused arrow left her bow. Kouga jumped back, out of the way, and let the arrow hit the man. Kagome’s aim was true; she hit him in the throat. Kouga raised his arm to unleash the Goraishi and finish him off.

“If you do that, Moriyama-sama,” said Tsubasa, “I will purify you into oblivion before you can swing your arm. I suggest you back off.”

Kouga kept his arm raised; his face was twisted by bloodlust, and his fangs depressed into his lip, drawing blood. He growled as Tsubasa and made to attack…

…only to have Kagome throw her arms around his waist and tackle him to the ground. Kouga howled.

“Kagome!” he bellowed. “What the fuck?”

“I’m not letting you die today, either!” she shouted at him. Kagome eyed the man, who was slumped over on his knees, blood trickling from his wound. She turned to Tsubasa. “What do you want, Tsubaki-sama?” she asked.

Tsubasa chuckled. “Do you not remember our conversation from yesterday?” she asked. She pulled a knife from her belt and pointed at Kagome and Kouga. “You,” she said simply. “I want you.”

Kouga pulled them both to their feet and pushed Kagome behind him. “You’re not getting her today, witch,” he growled.

Tsubasa laughed louder now. “I already told you, _my Lord_ ,” she said mockingly, “you come any closer, and I purify you. And then who will speak for spiritualists among the youkai leadership?” Her dark eyes twinkled. “I’m sure I can find someone who would be a fitting replacement for you.”

Kouga’s eyes bled red. “Back the fuck up, bitch,” he hissed. “I don’t relish killing mikos, but I’ll make an exception.”

Tsubasa’s eyes glinted. “Come at me, wolf prince,” she promised, “and I will _end_ you.”

“What do you want with me?” Kagome shouted, drawing both Tsubasa’s and Kouga’s attention. “If I go with you, will you let him go free?”

“Kagome,” Kouga said warningly.

“Oh, Kagome-sama,” laughed Tsubasa, “neither of you is going free.”

And something struck Kagome over the head. She heard Kouga shouting her name; she tried to call out to him, but her mouth didn’t seem to know how to make words. She heard him scream in pain, and then her face hit concrete and she knew nothing more.

* * *

Inuyasha’s youki was positively _chafing_ against Totosai’s; he needed to get out of there. He needed to find Kagome.

The Nomura girl’s family was understandably distraught; Nomura Sakura had left for school at her regular time, but when the school called to report her absent, her mother had panicked and called the police. The Metro PD called the NPA, who put Inuyasha, Sango, and Totosai on the case. When Totosai had called Inuyasha, he’d fully expected Sango to be with her partner, and was livid that Inuyasha had separated from her. In response, Inuyasha had a full-on meltdown in front of the Nomura residence; he and Totosai were screaming at each other, while Sango stood there, shaking her head.

Totosai understood that Kagome wasn’t answering her phone, but maybe she was sleeping, if she was, in fact, sick? And he had the frantic parents of a missing 17-year old girl breathing down his neck.

“Any other time, Matsushita,” Totosai had said, “I would go with you to track down Higurashi myself. But she’s not a missing person—”

“— _yet_ ,” Inuyasha had growled.

“—and as such,” Totosai had continued loudly, “I cannot give the manpower over to what could very well be a case of sleeping through one’s phone. When we’re done here, I give you leave to find Higurashi. But _a child has been kidnapped_ , Matsushita.” His eyes conveyed his clear conflict; Inuyasha understood that Totosai wanted to do both things: he wanted to help the Nomura girl _and_ Kagome. And Inuyasha also understood that wasn’t quite possible.

Not in that moment, anyway.

So Sango and Inuyasha were following the Nomura girl’s path to school, retracing her steps, looking for any sign of who took her. Sango shot her partner an irritated look.

“Could you _stop_ , please?” she hissed. Inuyasha paused. He hadn’t realized he was growling and breathing harshly through his mouth.

Great. Now he was a mouth breather. _Fan-fucking-tastic_.

“So fucking sorry,” he snapped, but he did dial down his behavior. Acting like an ass wasn’t going to get him any closer to Kagome.

“Do you sense anything, Matsushita?” Sango asked. “Anything familiar? Scents or otherwise?”

Inuyasha snorted. “I’m not psychic, Murasaki,” he said irritably. He paused, then dropped to the sidewalk, sniffing as he crawled along the pavement. Sango watched him interestedly as he drew his nose up a tree trunk and then into some bushes. He paused, then followed the path along the way they came, at which point he stopped.

_That scent._

_It was him._

_It was FUCKING HIM._

And…he was mouth breathing again.

“Matsushita?” Sango asked tentatively. “Are you—okay?”

Inuyasha just growled in response.

“Inu-yasha?” Sango was now using his first name in an attempt to draw his attention on her and away from whatever the _fuck_ was going through his thick, stubborn, hanyou head.

“He was here.” Inuyasha’s voice come through the rumbles of his throat. It was flat, hard.

Sango sighed and rubbed her temples. “ _Who_ , Matsushita?” she asked tentatively, afraid of setting him off again.

He paused. “The student was taken here,” he said, nodding at the sidewalk. “From the way her scent stops, I’d say by car.” He growled. “ _He_ was here, Murasaki.”

“ _WHO_ , Matsushita,” Sango replied, clinging to the last vestiges of her sanity as she tried to reason with a very unreasonable hanyou. “Who was here?”

“The same fucker who took Ito,” grunted Inuyasha, whipping out his phone. “The same fucker who broke into the school.”

Sango whipped out her phone to call Totosai, her face paling. “It’s the same guy,” she said as soon as he answered. “Matsushita just found the scent.” She paused. “You have to let us go. You have to let us go find her.” Sango listened for a moment, then disconnected the call. She turned back to look at Inuyasha, the fury barely concealed in her dark brown eyes.

“You were right,” Sango said, “you were _fucking right_. We’ve been wasting our time here.” She took a breath. “Do you know who has her?”

“I do.” And at that moment, his phone rang. “ _WHAT?!”_ he bellowed into the receiver.

“ _Matsushita-keiji?”_ came a tentative voice over the speaker.

“Speaking. Who the fuck are you?” he snapped. _He did not have fucking time for this._

“ _It’s Ginta,”_ the voice said, “ _I’m—”_

“I know who the fuck you are,” he replied impatiently. “What the fuck do you want?” Sango was whispering something at him; Inuyasha hushed her with a devastating Look.

“ _Kouga and nee-chan_ ,” Ginta said, “ _they’re—they’re—”_

“What, Ginta? They’re what?” Inuyasha answered, breathing through his mouth yet again in an attempt to keep his shit together. He didn’t even need to think about who “nee-chan” was; he fucking knew it was her.

“ _They’re in trouble_ ,” Ginta finally got out. “ _They went to an address, and told me if I didn’t hear from them, to contact you_.”

Inuyasha let out a roar and bent double, resting his hands on his knees. He handed the phone to Sango; he could feel his youki surging forward, and he could not control it. _He could not control himself_. He felt his claws elongating; he felt his fangs dipping below his lower lip. He was vaguely aware that he was snarling; _he could not believe Kagome._

Actually, fuck that: yes he could. He could totally believe she would do something this fucking stupid.

But the goddamn wolf claimed to love her. If he did, why would he follow her into danger?

 _To protect her_ , a dark little voice told him. _Because he knew she would do this, even if he said no. So he went to protect her._

And that, for some reason, made it worse.

He was raging; the anger and desperation he felt in his soul were unlike anything he’d ever experienced. He reached out and dragged his claws down the length of the tree where he’d detected that man’s scent, slicing off pieces of bark and wood. With a feral howl, he ran his claws across the trunk, effectively bisecting it. He felt a little better as the top half of the tree fell to the earth with a massive crash. He sat on his haunches, breathing heavily, flexing his claws. He needed someone to _maim,_ to _slice open_ , to _kill._

Sango, meanwhile, had finished speaking to Ginta and received the address where Kagome and Kouga had gone. She punched it into Inuyasha’s GPS, and let out a little growl of her own. Why was her best friend so _fucking stubborn_? Why did she insist on doing everything herself? She absolutely, 100%, knew this was not Kouga’s idea. Nope; this had Higurashi Kagome written all over it. Kouga probably just went along to keep her from doing something impossibly stupid. Which she had probably done, anyway. And now they were both in danger.

“Matsushita,” Sango said, turning to Inuyasha. She was shocked at what she saw. She’d heard him having his little hissy fit while she was talking to Ginta; it had annoyed her, but she hadn’t really thought anything of it. She was used to him having massive temper tantrums; they’d gotten really bad after Kikyo left him, but had calmed down in recent weeks. If the past few days, though, were any indicator, she was going to be going back to drinking a lot of vodka when she got home at night. And she was definitely asking Totosai for a raise.

Inuyasha was sitting back on his heels, opening and closing his fists, looking with interest at his claws, like he couldn’t wait to tear through something else. His claws and fangs were huge; longer than Sango had ever seen them. The whites of his eyes were now red; his pupils were a brilliant turquoise. He had jagged purple marks running across each cheek.

 _Shit_. His youki had fully taken over.

How the _fuck_ was she supposed to pull him back from this?

[ ](https://dreaming-of-soup.tumblr.com/post/642783557663719424/i-had-the-honor-of-being-commissioned-by)

Commissioned Artwork by [dreaming-of-soup](https://dreaming-of-soup.tumblr.com/)

* * *

Sango approached him slowly; when he looked up and growled loudly at her, she held up her hands in a submissive, unassuming gesture. He sneered softly, but allowed her to approach. Sango looked at him—his dripping fangs, his red eyes, his harsh breaths—and knew she had to decide. Did she play it safe, and hope he listened? Or, did she take a chance, and pray he didn’t cut her up into teeny, tiny pieces?

She decided to take the chance. She squatted in front of him, keeping her hands raised.

“Matsushita,” she said insistently. His eyes raised to hers, narrow and gleaming like blood. “We have to go.”

“Kagome.” His voice was rough, coarse, like his normal voice, and yet… _not_.

“Yes,” Sango said, “yes. We’re going to get Kagome.”

He rose and made to take off down the street. “Inuyasha,” Sango said again. He turned to her, eyebrows raised, ears cocked towards her. “The car is this way.”

He grunted. “No cars.”

“No,” Sango said desperately, “we have to do this by the book.” The last thing the NPA needed was their lead investigator tearing through the streets of Tokyo as a full, raging, youkai.

He grunted again, more loudly this time. “ _No cars._ ”

Sango didn’t know what to do. She needed him to go with her. She couldn’t pull her firearm on him; she was an excellent shot, but she needed to stay nonthreatening. He would kill her before she could fire.

Then, she had an idea.

“Stay here,” she told him, and called Totosai.

“We know who has Nomura-san and Kagome,” she said. “We need you. We’re down the street. Bring the car. Matsushita is fully transformed. I’m trying to keep him from taking off. Get here as fast as you can. I’m putting my tracker on.” She hung up, activated her locator, and turned back to Inuyasha, who was looking down the street and stomping the sidewalk into oblivion. “Totosai’s on his way,” she said to him.

“Fucking ojiji,” he snorted. She was unable to stop the chortle of laughter that escaped her lips. Maybe a full-youkai Inuyasha wasn’t so bad, after all.

Sango and Inuyasha heard Totosai’s sirens before they saw them. Actually, Inuyasha heard them first, his ears swiveling to the direction of the Nomura house, a snarl forming on his lips. Sango took a chance and laid a hand on his arm. “It’s okay,” she said softly. “It’s ojiji.” She thought maybe using Inuyasha’s past name for Totosai might help relax him, and it seemed to work. He snorted again and shook her off, but began pacing the length of the now-destroyed sidewalk, effectively ignoring her.

Sango kept one eye on Inuyasha as Totosai pulled up alongside them and rolled his window down. “Get in,” he said, “we talk on the way.”

“That’s fine,” Sango replied, “but how do we get _him_ into the car?”

Totosai saw Inuyasha, and took in his subordinate and friend slowly. He grinned.

“Lord Inuyasha,” Totosai called out. Inuyasha looked up and grimaced; Sango’s jaw dropped at Totosai’s use of Inuyasha’s former title. “We’re going to get Kagome,” he added. “We move _now_.”

Inuyasha let out a howl and bounded over to the car. He opened the passenger-side door and climbed in. Sango sighed and got into the backseat. Totosai put the car in gear and drove off.

“Okay, you two,” he said firmly, eyeing Inuyasha beside him and looking at Sango in the rearview mirror, “now tell me _exactly_ what’s going on.”

* * *

When Kagome finally came to, the first thing that she felt was coldness pressed into her back. She struggled to sit up, but quickly realized that she was essentially rendered immobile by…something. She took several deep breaths to control herself, then began slowly testing her restraints.

Her hands were free, but her wrists were bound. She could move her toes, but her ankles also seemed to be bound. She could twist her torso a little; whatever was holding her there seemed to be a looser bind.

Table? Yes, it seemed like she was strapped to a table, not unlike the one’s in Hojo’s office.

That thought stilled her. She was strapped to a cold, metal table. And she could _really_ feel the cold.

Which meant that…Kagome struggled to raise her head, and saw she was in a hospital gown; it was tied in the back, but loose. Frantically, she checked herself. _Underwear and bra: check_.

Kagome let out a sigh of relief; how she repressed the urge to scream, she was never able to figure out. Because she wanted to scream loud, and long, and hard.

 _Fuck_ , she thought, her head falling back to the table with a clang. _How did I get myself into this?_

That was a rhetorical question. She knew perfectly well how she’d gotten there. By being reckless, and careless, and stupid. Things she could not afford to be now.

The next thing she experienced were voices, whispering, in hushed tones, from somewhere close by.

“You hit her too hard, Jakotsu,” a gruff voice whispered. “I know you wanted to be the one to take the miko out, but, _fuck_.”

“Tch,” said the other voice that Kagome assumed was Jakotsu. “She’s tough.”

 _Damn straight_.

“Anyway,” the man called Jakotsu continued, “Hopefully Ban’s got other plans for her, and I’ll get to go another round with her. I wanna see what the top miko in the country is like in action.”

“While you can,” the other man said. “You know what the plan is for her.”

“The same as everyone else,” Jakotsu replied. “But not right away.” There was a pause. “Come on,” he said, “let’s go help with the prep.” She heard heavy footsteps, and the door open and close. Was she alone?

Kagome used her eyes to carefully inspect the room. It was a plain room: concrete walls, a smaller rolling table beside her with some instruments on it. She could just make out two other tables; where there also people strapped to them?

“Hello?” Kagome called out tentatively. “Is anyone else there?”

“Higurashi-sensei?” came a small, scared voice.

“Nomura-kun.” Kagome expelled a sharp breath. “Are you okay?”

“I’m—I’m okay,” Sakura replied. “They’ve mostly been sticking me with needles. They keep saying that they’re prepping me for surgery, but I don’t know what that means.” Kagome could tell Sakura was trying hard not to cry.

“It’s gonna be fine, Nomura-kun,” Kagome told her, even though it wasn’t and they both knew it. “People know where I am. The Lord of the East is here somewhere. The NPA is probably hightailing it here as we speak.” She didn’t know what time it was, but it had to be after 12. Surely Ginta would have called Inuyasha by now. They just had to hang on for a bit longer.

The door opened slowly, and Kagome heard squeaky wheels rolling something into the room.

“Oh,” said a low, not unpleasant voice, “look who’s finally awake.”

Approaching footsteps told Kagome that the voice was getting closer. Her eyes darted around anxiously, coming face-to-face with a handsome man. His blue eyes sparkled from behind dark-rimmed glasses, and his hair was pulled back in a braid. “It’s so lovely to meet you at least, Higurashi-sama.” The man bowed before her, bending himself almost double.

“So who do you work for? Tsuji Onigumo? Or Tsubaki-sama?” Kagome couldn’t believe she was putting those names in almost the same sentence. Her anger was palpable and was radiating off her in waves.

The man chuckled. “Tsuji-shachou pays my salary, but Tsubasa-sama has been extraordinarily helpful in advising me on which subjects to procure.” He smirked. “You’ll see just how helpful soon.”

Kagome didn’t want to know what “soon” meant, nor did she want to waste time exchanging pleasantries. “Where’s Kouga?” she demanded instead.

“The Lord of the East is quite comfortable,” the man replied easily, “and will continue to be so as long as you are accommodating of our requests.”

“What the _fuck_ does that mean?” she exclaimed.

“They told me you were feisty,” he answered, “but I have to admit I didn’t expect mikos to use language like that. You lot keep surprising me.” He frowned and leaned close to her; his breath has hot on her cheek, and she tried to pull away, but the table and the restraints were doing their job. She couldn’t move.

“You’re awfully pretty, Higurashi-sama,” he whispered. He ran his finger nail along her cheek, and down her neck. She immediately tensed.

The man laughed. “Oh, afraid of a human’s touch?” he teased her darkly. His voice dropped. “Maybe you just need to be shown what a _real man_ can do.” He frowned. “Although it does look like you like it rough,” he added, now running his fingers along her neck, touching the spots where Inuyasha had left affectionate bites and where he had nicked her skin with his claws.

She bit the inside of her mouth so hard she drew blood. But she didn’t care; she wasn’t gonna play his games. She wouldn’t compare Inuyasha to him, when there was obviously no comparison to be made.

Instead, she laid there in a stony silence, her senses ridiculously alert, like Buyo about to catch a mouse. (Well, maybe a little more alert than that.)

He turned his face so they were cheek-to-cheek, and took a long look down the length of her body; she shivered as she felt his breath traveling down her neck.

“Yes,” he murmured, “there might be additional uses for you.” He turned his face back to her, blue eyes meeting steely gray ones. “We’ll talk to the boss about that.” He stood up.

“Now!” he exclaimed, clapping his hands together once, “I’m here to take you to be prepped for surgery. I think we’re going to be moving a little faster than normal.” His eyes narrowed. “You made a mistake by bringing the Lord of the East with you, Higurashi-sama. People will miss him. You’ve sped up our timeline.” He began to push her table out of the room. Kagome heard Sakura breathing heavily, as if she knew what was coming for Kagome, and was terrified.

“Kouga isn’t the only one people will be missing,” Kagome hissed, her throat dry. “I have friends with the NPA, you know.”

“I do,” he said. “And don’t worry, we’ll be waiting for them. Your best friend? Your lapdog?” He laughed harshly. “They won’t know what hit them.”

He wheeled Kagome out of the room and down the hall. Kagome’s eyes took everything in, trying to remember where she was, and where she was going. If the moment arose, she planned to get the _fuck_ out of there as fast as she could.

The room the man took Kagome to looked like a general surgery room. There were several people standing about, wearing scrubs, masks, and gloves. The man patted Kagome on the arm.

“I’ll be back, koishii,” he whispered; her aura wanted to spark madly at that term of endearment, but for some reason, she felt as though she were…blocked?

He chuckled at the confusion on her face. “Your reiki has been sealed,” he told her, “for now. Oh, don’t worry,” he added, “you’ll get to unleash it eventually. Just not at this moment. We’re saving that for later.” He leaned forward and brushed his lips over her cheek; she recoiled at his touch.

“So beautiful,” he murmured. He turned to the others in the room. “Get her prepped,” he said. “I’m going to scrub up.” He patted Kagome on the shoulder. “Soon,” he promised, “you’re going to see just what we’ve been up to here.”

“You won’t get away with this,” she hissed, aware how much she sounded like she was in a bad detective novel.

He chuckled again. “If only you know, koishii,” he said sadly. And he was gone.

 _Knew? Knew what_?

Kagome was so busy watching him go and thinking about his cryptic words that she didn’t notice the others descending on her. She screamed when she felt their hands on her, touching her arms, covering her body with a cloth. She felt the tourniquet applied to her arm; she felt them twisting her hand into a fist. She felt the needle plunge into her skin.

Things got hazy after that. Kagome struggled to remain conscious; on the fringes of her awareness she heard that voice again, speaking to another voice: one that chilled her to her absolutely core.

“She’s ready for the surgery, boss.”

“Excellent. Let me know how it goes.” A rough hand gripped her by the chin. She saw a handsome face.

She saw dark red eyes.

“Hello, Higurashi Kagome,” the deep, dark voice said. “You don’t know me, but I’m going to _enjoy_ getting to know you.”

And she lost consciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> keiji (刑事 in kanji; けいじ in hiragana): detective, especially for a criminal case
> 
> Will Inuyasha be able to pull himself together and get to Kagome in time? Will Sango get her raise? Where is Kouga, and how will Kagome get herself out of this mess? Find out all this, and more, at the next update!
> 
> And, as always, thanks so much for reading! <3 <3


	28. Do You Not Know Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome comes face-to-face with her kidnapper, and starts to put the pieces together. Inuyasha and Sango are hot on her trail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you're safe and well.
> 
> I'm so happy to bring you the next chapter of Spirited Soulmates! In this chapter, Kagome meets someone who has been after her for apparently a _long_ time. And a brief CW: our girl is still in a heap of trouble, but the cavalry is on the way!
> 
> Please enjoy!

Getting into Totosai’s car was the best thing that could have happened to bring Inuyasha back from his transformed self. Totosai played soft, lilting music in his car; he had a soothing scent coming from his car’s air freshener; he kept his voice low and deferential. Sango had to admit she was impressed. Clearly, Totosai had done this before.

Not long after they got into the car, Inuyasha’s eyes returned to their normal golden color. His fangs and claws detracted, and the purple lines disappeared from his face. He remained quiet, thoughtful, taking in the comforting atmosphere of the car, allowing it to calm his youki. He let Sango do most of the talking, although he did interject that he was pretty sure Tsubasa Tsubaki was also involved in the kidnapping of mikos and the stealing of their reiki.

For his part, Totosai was quite frankly shocked at the theory Inuyasha and Sango put forth to him. He’d read the documents that Inuyasha had emailed him the night before, but he already knew all about Tsuji Onigumo’s beliefs on human-youkai relations; unlike Inuyasha, he followed youkai politics quite closely. He had followed the treaty negotiations eagerly, hoping whatever was signed would open up more possibilities for youkai and humans to work side-by-side in the NPA. Sango and Inuyasha were a model pairing, but youkai (not to mention hanyou) were incredibly rare in the NPA system. So he knew Tsuji had made a case against allowing more open training of spiritualists, but he had no idea that Tsuji would go so far as to create his own corps of reiki-stealing machines.

“But _why_?” Totosai persisted. “Why would he do this? What does he hope to prove?”

Inuyasha paused. “Sesshomaru’s notes indicated that Tsuji wanted humans and youkai to be more equal,” he said. “There are a few ways that could go. He could be stealing their power to eliminate it, or he could be stealing it—”

“—to infuse it in other youkai,” Sango burst in. She’d been thinking about this a lot too. And yeah, either argument made a lot of sense. Eliminate the power, or take it for yourself. Whichever way they were going, it wasn’t good for mikos.

“And why do you think Tsubasa Tsubaki is involved again?” Totosai asked.

“She has a vested interest in eliminating the power of soulmated mikos,” Inuyasha said impatiently. “She did something to Kikyo’s reiki; Kikyo showed me her scar just below her collarbone; it matches what we saw on the other mikos. Kikyo told me they’ve been doing this for years.” He paused. “Maybe they’ve been sealing the power, and are looking for something more substantive. To get rid of the power altogether. Maybe Kikyo was the first test subject.”

Sango’s face paled. “Matsushita…” she said hesitantly.

He whipped around to face her. “ _What_?” he roared.

Okay, maybe he wasn’t as under control as he would have liked.

“Murasaki,” he said, willing himself to be gentle and sounding strangled instead, “what’s on your mind?”

“You and Kagome are soulmates,” she whispered.

“So fucking what?” he responded harshly. “I know we fucking— _oh_.” He got it.

Inuyasha turned to Totosai. “You better have a warrant ready,” he said threateningly, “because you aren’t gonna stop me from moving the whole fucking building if I have to in order to get to Higurashi.”

“Don’t worry,” Totosai assured him, “we’re working on it now. We should have it within the hour. In the meantime, we can still go in and question Tsuji and his employees. We don’t need a warrant for that.” Totosai’s phone rang and he put it on speaker. “Totosai.”

“ _Captain? It’s Okada.”_

“Okada,” Totosai said, “I’ve been waiting for your call.”

“ _The warrant’s issued,”_ he said.

“That was fast,” Totosai commented.

“ _Once Tsuji’s comments about humans and spiritualists were entered into the record,”_ Okada replied, “ _it became clear that he was a person of interest. The judge was pretty quick to issue it.”_

“Good,” Totosai said. “Bring it to Naraku Industries. Bring 10 men with you. I’ll let you pick. People who are a good shot and who aren’t afraid of a little fight. No one with spiritual powers. We’re not sure what they’re doing to spiritualists.”

“ _Got it_ ,” Okada responded. “ _We’ll meet you there.”_

Totosai disconnected the call and turned to Inuyasha. “I’m sorry we can’t just go storming in as soon as we get there,” he said apologetically. “We have to wait for the warrant to do that.”

“Murasaki and I will go in first,” Inuyasha said immediately. “We were just there, and can go in on the pretense of following up on our initial visit.” Sango nodded, her face barely concealing her fury.

“That’s fine,” Totosai said. “I’ll text you when we’re ready to move in. _Do not do anything stupid, Matsushita_ ,” he said menacingly. “I will not hesitate to suspend your ass without pay if you fuck this up for us.”

“Keh,” Inuyasha replied. “Higurashi’s in there.”

“And that’s exactly why I’m saying this,” Totosai shot back. “Don’t fuck this up so she or any of the other women end up dead. Keep a cool head. _I mean it_.” He looked at Sango in the rearview mirror. “Keep him calm.”

Sango laughed. “Do you even know him, Captain?” His look silenced her. “I’ll do my best, sir,” she said somberly. She leaned forward and pinched Inuyasha.

“Ow!” he yelped. “What the fuck!”

“ _Be good_ ,” she said. “If you go full youkai on me in there, I’m not gonna be able to stop you and pull you back. You’ve got to _keep yourself under control_.”

“I’m always under control,” he shot back.

“Like fucking hell you are,” Sango retorted. “But you better be now.” She looked at Totosai. “Drop us off around the corner,” she said. “Out of the way of any cameras.”

He nodded. “Will do. And keep an eye on your phones. I’ll signal when we’re ready.”

“Got it.” Inuyasha was already taking off his seat belt. He ready to get the fuck out of there.

Totosai turned down a side street with a convenience store on the corner. They were across from a massive train station; Osaki was a corporate haven, with lots of company headquarters within easy walking distance of the station. He parked along another side street, then turned to face his subordinates. The lines on his elderly face were set and sturdy.

“Listen to me,” he said firmly, “both of you. You go in, you see if you can locate Tsuji. _You do not engage_. Allow me to repeat myself. _Do. Not. Engage_. Wait for the warrant to arrive. Then we’ll search every inch of the buildings to find Higurashi-san and the other women.”

“If I scent her, Captain,” Inuyasha said, “I can’t be held responsible for what I might do.”

Totosai paused for a moment, thinking, then nodded. “I’m fine with that. Probable cause. If you scent her, see her, find something that’s hers, then yeah. All bets are off. But otherwise, play it cool.”

“Fine.” Inuyasha was not going to belabor the point. If he detected any trace of Kagome in the building, he was gonna go apeshit anyway. Best to have the Captain’s approval first. He opened the car door, then looked at Sango. “Ready?”

“Hold on,” she said. “I’m just texting Miroku. I’ve got to let him know what’s happening. He and Kaede should close the school indefinitely.”

“Higurashi won’t like that,” Inuyasha said.

“Kagome’s not here,” Sango shot back, “so she doesn’t get a fucking say in the matter. She had to go off and be all Wonder Woman and shit. We’re NPA, and if we say the school closes, then it fucking closes.” She pressed Send on her message, then slipped her phone into her pocket. “Now I’m ready.”

Inuyasha smiled grimly. Sango was just as pissed as he was. There was a really good chance that Naraku Industries would not be standing by nightfall.

“Try and keep me updated if you can,” Totosai said as Inuyasha got out of the car. He opened the back door for Sango, who scrambled out. “Otherwise, stay tuned for my text.”

Inuyasha nodded curtly. “Got it. See ya soon, Captain.”

Totosai returned the nod. “Good luck, Matsushita, Murasaki.”

“We’ll be expecting to hear from you,” Sango said. She nodded at Totosai, and she and Inuyasha headed towards the Naraku Industries main building.

Every nerve ending in Inuyasha’s body was on high alert. His ears were twitching in every direction imaginable; his eyes were trying to take everything in at once; his nose was carefully searching out each scent. The one who had visited the school, who had taken Ito-sama and Nomura-san—he was here, somewhere.

Inuyasha planned to find him.

He couldn’t guarantee the man would escape with his life.

* * *

The pain in Kagome’s shoulder—right in her triple warmer meridian—was excruciating. It jolted her into consciousness; she gasped for air.

“You’re awake.” It was the deep, dark voice again.

She struggled to open her eyes. “So…groggy,” she murmured.

A hand gripped her arm roughly. “Come on, Higurashi-sama,” he growled. She tried to wrench her arm away, but she couldn’t move it.

“What—did—you—do?” she croaked out, on high alert from the activation of her chi.

“Just a little operation,” he said, still holding tightly to her arm. “We’re prepping you for what’s coming next.”

If Kagome could, she would have unleashed her reiki on him. But it was still suppressed, and all she could do was growl.

“Taking on some of your pet’s more disgusting traits?” he snarled.

“Fuck off,” she muttered. She closed her eyes and turned her head away from him.

The man squeezed her arm harshly. “Don’t look away from me, _Ka-Go-Me_ ,” he hissed. He grabbed her face with his other hand and forced her to look at him. “Don’t _ever_ look away from me.”

“Who the fuck are you, even?” Kagome hissed right back.

The man’s face split into a slow smile. “Do you not know me, Higurashi-sama?” he asked quite seriously. He paused and shook his head. “No,” he answered, “I guess you would not know me. Not by my face, anyway.” He slid over her, so that their faces were even. “But you know the name Tsuji Onigumo, correct?”

Kagome stilled. He smiled.

“Hello, Higurashi Kagome. It’s so nice to meet the top miko in the country. And the woman who convinced a team of youkai to let spiritualists train.” He let his grin grow wider; it was then she felt the force of his youki, intimidating, dark, and treacherous. Jyaki.

“Tsuji Onigumo,” she breathed. _Fuck, fuck, FUCK._

“It’s a pleasure, Higurashi-sama,” he said, taking her hand and pretending to shake it. “I wish we could have met under better circumstances.”

“What—are you going to do?” She knew he was there. She really did. She just couldn’t believe that _he was there_. Talking to her. Touching her. She felt sick; his jyaki was overwhelming her. She turned her head back to the side.

“I _said_ , don’t look away from me, Higurashi-sama.” His voice was even lower, if that was possible.

“I feel sick,” she muttered. “It’s from _looking at_ _you_.”

He growled; Kagome could feel his youki rising up behind her. “The machine is warming up,” he whispered. He was in her ear; her entire body shook from the force of his youki.

“Why—why are you doing this?” she breathed, still not looking at him.

Tsuji Onigumo hooked a thumb under her chin and brought her face back even with his. She winced at the pain in her shoulder, and her senses went into overload. “You tell me, Higurashi-sama,” he said. “And then we’ll see if you’re a good little miko who pays attention during treaty negotiations.”

“I know exactly who you are, Tsuji,” she spat, her stomach still rolling. Gods, if only she could _fucking move_! “And, I know what you think about spiritualists. You’re trying to steal our reiki, aren’t you?”

Tsuji yanked on her chin. _Just with his thumb_? Gods, that hurt. She tried not to wince. “Correct,” he said. “Do you know why?”

Kagome thought back to what Sesshomaru had said. “Level the playing field? Give an advantage to youkai—an advantage they don’t need, I might add?” _Yes. Keep him talking_.

Tsuji unhooked his thumb from her chin and turned away from her for a moment. “You put it in such simple terms, Higurashi-sama,” he said, amused. She saw his eyes narrow, his pupils burning embers in the darkness of his face. “Youkai have been relegated to the shadows for far too long, Higurashi-sama. Spiritualists keep us in check, keep us from assuming our rightful place in the order of things. What my team and I are doing is simply doing a little renegotiation of our own.” He paused; Kagome could practically hear his mind working. “Our experiments will help youkai become leaders again, and reassert our power over humans.”

“You’re a hanyou, right?” she replied. “What’s in it for you?”

He was silent; his youki overwhelming. _Oh_.

“You get your seat at the table.” It wasn’t a theory.

Tsuji continued his silence, but began to slowly pace around her.

“How about Tsubaki-sama?” Kagome had to keep him talking. “Why is she here? Why was she with Nomura-kun?”

Tsuji turned back to her; his dark smile had returned.

“Since you’re so good at solving mysteries,” he commented, “why don’t you tell me?”

“I honestly don’t know,” she replied. “Give me a second.”

“We have all the time in the world, Higurashi-sama,” Tsuji answered, his face now gleaming in the low fluorescent light of the room.

Kagome wracked her brain. Why could Tsubaki-sama have been there today? What purpose did it serve? She thought back to their conversation yesterday. _Had it only been yesterday?_ To Inuyasha’s conversation with Kikyo. Something was happening to the soulmated mikos. Kikyo had been terrified for her; terrified enough that she sent Inuyasha running to the school in the middle of a Monday afternoon. Tsubaki-sama had all but guaranteed that Kagome would lose her power sooner rather than later, now that she had found her soulmate.

“Does Tsubaki-sama want you to take power from soulmated mikos?” she asked, the realization dawning on her slowly.

Tsuji laughed. “That’s a question you should really ask Tsubasa-sama,” he told her. “But she has been very helpful to us. She’s made recommendations for powerful mikos who might withstand our testing.” He paused; his face darkening. “It was always supposed to be you, _Ka-Go-Me_ ,” he taunted, lowering his face besides hers. His heated breath tickled her ear and her stomach lurched. “When the youkai sided with you over me, I just knew that someday, I needed to _have_ you. To have revenge on you for what you had done. To make you understand how powerless you made youkai.” He ran the pad of a finger down her arm; she tried not to shiver at his touch. “You made the world more dangerous for youkai, and somehow, no one seemed to care.” His tongue flicked out to taste her earlobe before he stood up and began to pace beside the metal table.

“It was Tsubasa-sama who came to me with the idea of taking the reiki of soulmated mikos,” he continued. “But I didn’t care about anyone but you. I thought for sure the wolf was your soulmate, but you continued to keep him at arm’s length, and I got impatient.” He paused over her and pressed his hand into her belly, painfully. Her breath hitched slightly, but she refused to let him see.

“Poor Nakaya-sama,” he said casually, “was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But she showed us that we could be successful in our research. Unfortunately, no more mikos found soulmates, and so Tsubasa-sama suggested we shift our experiments to unsoulmated mikos.” He laughed. “You know how well that’s been going.”

Kagome growled. The man was fucking _insane_.

“But now,” he said, his voice growing heated, “now I have you. Now, _finally,_ you’re mine.” Tsuji’s face was dark; Kagome quaked from the double entendre. “And personally, I _can’t wait_ to see what you can do.”

* * *

Sango and Inuyasha approached the imposing doors of Naraku Industries carefully and stealthily. Even though there were people coming and going from the building, they didn’t want to draw extra attention to themselves. “We simply walk in, and we ask to see Tsuji,” Sango said. “Don’t go crazy; don’t act weird.”

“Keh,” Inuyasha replied, “when do I ever act weird?”

Sango hummed. “I don’t know, like not even an hour ago, when you decapitated a tree right into the middle of the road, and then destroyed the sidewalk?”

Inuyasha growled, but her point was taken. “Let’s just fucking do this,” he said shortly, opening the door for her.

Sango led the way to the receptionist desk; the pale girl, Kanna, was there. She looked up at them, a hint of recognition. “Can I help you?” she asked, still bored as ever.

“We’re here to see Tsuji-san,” Sango said, flashing her badge at Kanna.

Kanna frowned. “He’s unavailable at this time; I’m sorry.”

“Can we go to his office and wait?” Inuyasha asked sharply. “It’s important. We have follow-up questions regarding the recent robberies.”

“I’m sorry,” Kanna said again, “but you’ll have to make an appointment.”

Inuyasha’s nose detected something; he looked at Sango, his eyes wide. Sango sighed and steeled herself. She knew what was coming.

It was Kagome. She was fucking _there_.

Inuyasha roared and sliced the receptionist’s desk neatly in half with his claws. “Appointment _this_!” he howled. He leaned forward and grabbed the small receptionist by her shirt collar. “Where is she?” he hissed.

Kanna’s face revealed her confusion. “Where is who, Detective?” she asked, her voice still calm.

“Higurashi Kagome,” Sango said briskly. “We have reason to believe that your boss has kidnapped one of the most powerful mikos in the country.”

“My _boss_ has no need to kidnap anyone,” Kanna said, a hint of anger seeping into her tone. “Perhaps you need to look elsewhere for your missing miko.”

“Unhelpful,” Inuyasha muttered, tossing Kanna back into her chair. He turned to Sango. “Let’s go.”

“I’ll call the police!” Kanna called after them.

“Go the fuck ahead,” Inuyasha replied, lazily flicking his hand in her direction.

“You don’t have a warrant,” she tried again.

“It’s coming,” Sango called back. “Come on,” she said to Inuyasha.

“Don’t need to tell me twice,” he shot back.

“Can you scent where she went?” Sango asked him.

Inuyasha paused, smelling the air, then dropped to his hands and knees to sniff the ground, drawing looks from the company employees. Kagome’s scent was mixed with the others that had come into the building, but he would be able to detect her lavender and vanilla scent if a million people came through those doors. He looked up at Sango. “This way,” he growled, and took off towards the elevators, Sango close behind.

Inuyasha followed her scent all the way up to the first elevator, where it came to an abrupt end. “She was here, Murasaki,” Inuyasha said frantically, taking deep breaths. “She was here, and she got on this elevator.”

“The question is,” murmured Sango, “to go where?”

The elevator doors pinged open, and a crowd of people got off. Sango and Inuyasha got on; Inuyasha started growling like crazy at anyone who tried to get on with them, and they were left alone. When the elevator doors closed, Sango hit the Stop button, and she and Inuyasha were able to talk.

“Let’s see what our options are,” Sango commented. “We need to buy Totosai a little time, too.”

Inuyasha looked around and immediately saw the destroyed camera. He nudged Sango and nodded at it. Sango’s face narrowed. “Well, at least we can confirm Kagome was here,” she said flatly, her anger and fear simmering just beneath the surface.

Inuyasha grunted in response and turned his attention to the elevator keypad. He saw the buttons that would take them to the upper floors, but also two other buttons of significance. “There weren’t any options to go down from the outside controls, Murasaki,” he said.

Sango nodded. “So then we go down,” she replied.

“Bingo,” he said. Inuyasha looked closely at the keypad. “Murasaki,” he added, hooking a finger at her and then drawing it back to the different buttons. “Do you see it?” he asked her.

Sango leaned forward, looking the access controls. She pointed at BB. “It’s been tampered with.”

Inuyasha took one of his claws and started gently fiddling with the lock. Sango watched, holding her breath, as he tweaked it back and forth, then exhaled as it clicked into place. He pressed the Stop button and the elevator began to move.

“I’m gonna text Totosai really quick,” Sango said, whipping out her phone. “Let me know where we’re heading.”

“Fine,” Inuyasha grunted, drawing his firearm. “Be ready. When those doors open, I follow Higurashi’s scent.” Sango put her phone away and took out her weapon, ready to back up her partner.

The elevator doors opened slowly, and Inuyasha took a step outside. He looked left, then right, then nodded to Sango, who followed quickly, her gun at the ready.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Kanna’s office phone had been destroyed, but she pulled out her cell and dashed off a text. _They’re here_ , it said. _They say that they have a warrant_. She frowned again.

This whole thing this was a nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick note on the location of Kagome's microchip: in Chinese medicine, the triple warmer meridian (or the Sanjiao meridian) runs from behind the eyes (one on each side), over the ears, down the shoulder, and then down the arm. Hitting this meridian would activate one's fight-or-flight response. When I was thinking about a location for the microchip, this made sense, because when the microchip is activated, it would heat the triple warmer, causing the mikos to go into that fight-or-flight, and thus activating their reiki in an _extreme_ manner. We don't hear about it before this point, because Kagome is really the first miko whose head we get to go inside (something tells me Junoichi-sensei wasn't thinking about triple warmers when she was leaving her last spark of reiki...) and she immediately recognizes where the chip is, and what it's doing.
> 
> So! We leave off with Inu and Sango on their way! Will they get to Kagome in time? And what happened to Kouga? Some very _BIG_ things will be happening in the next chapter, so you won't want to miss it!
> 
> As always, everyone, thanks so much for reading--I so appreciate all the love and the feedback you have given this story. Take care, and I will see you at the next update--next Sunday! ❤️


	29. Into the Void

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha and Sango find someone who has been locked away in the basements of Naraku industries, and later they battle one of Onigumo's minions. Kagome finds herself in an even more dangerous position (is that even possible), and tries desperately to reach Inuyasha. And, she _finally_ admits something!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello, everyone!! I hope that wherever you are, you are safe and doing well.
> 
> I am so excited to bring you the next chapter of Spirited Soulmates! Things continue to look bleak for our girl, but Inuyasha and Sango are _that much closer_ to finding her! Please enjoy!

Kouga groaned and opened his eyes. His head was _killing_ him. He rolled his head right, then left, then blinked slowly as things came into focus. He growled softly; his vision was not coming back as quickly as he would have liked.

He thought back rapidly to the moments before he’d lost consciousness. The big fucker had been temporarily immobilized by Kagome’s arrow, but another, much smaller man had hit Kagome over the head with some kind of sword; she’d staggered frighteningly, tried to call out for Kouga, then hit the ground. He was still alarmed at how her mouth had been moving, but no words were coming out, and he prayed she was okay. Then, while he was stupidly trying to get to her, instead of fighting, the bigger guy had regained his ability to move and come after him, smacking him over the head, too. And what had they been going on about? Who had that miko been?

Kouga froze, remembering his conversation with the mutt. _Tsubasa Tsubaki from the Spiritualist Society_. Her hair was up, so he hadn’t recognized her at first—she’d always worn her hair down at the treaty negotiations—but he was sure that’s who it was. 

He paused. She was the woman who had rattled Kagome so much.

He growled again, feeling like an ass for not being able to protect Kagome. He’d tagged along with the sole purpose of making sure nothing happened to her, and yet here they were: he was bound up in some room and who in the hells knew where Kagome was.

_Deep breaths, Kouga_ , he told himself. _You’ve been through worse. Take your time and figure this the_ fuck _out. You’ve got to get to Kagome, and fast._

Kouga carefully surveyed his situation. He was bound to a chair; his wrists, ankles, and torso were tied. They hadn’t bothered to gag him, probably realizing he’s tear through any gag with his fangs. His wrists were bound behind the chair, so he couldn’t get to them to chew through the ropes. His ankles were bound around the chair legs.

_Wait. My hands are free_.

If he could manage this without slicing off any body parts, he’d be ecstatic. Maiming was probably expected.

Kouga took his left hand and made it as small as possible. “Come on,” he muttered, flexing his right hand as fast and as hard as he could, “come the fuck _on_. _Goraishi!_ ”

He took a huge breath as his weapon roared to life on his hand. He twisted his wrist, and the Goraishi sliced the ropes. His hands were free.

Swiftly, he sliced the bindings around his torso and his ankles and stood, the feeling rushing back into his feet. Kouga lifted one foot, circled his ankle, then the other, then leaned forward, his hands on his knees, taking great breaths of relief. A searing pain brought him back to reality, and he looked at his left hand. Sure enough, there was a huge gash across his left knuckles from the Goraishi’s blades. He sighed, looking around for something to bind his hand and stop the bleeding.

The room was, honestly, pretty bare, except for the chair where he’d been tied, and some hanging fluorescent lights. He frowned. Any youkai would be able to detect him from kilometers away—that’s how much he was bleeding. He grit his teeth and used the Goraishi to cut a strip from the bottom of his shirt, then wrapped his hand. It wasn’t the best solution, but it would do.

Kouga crept to the door and put his ear against it, listening for any sounds outside. He didn’t hear anything, but thought he detected a familiar scent. He grumbled, then put his hand on the door handle, about to yank it open.

But someone outside wrenched it open first, pulling Kouga’s hand off the handle. Kouga stared, his mouth hanging wide, his fangs dangling.

“See?” Inuyasha was saying to Sango. “I told you I smelled a mangy wolf and we should stop.” Sango sighed and dropped her weapon. Inuyasha held out a hand to Kouga, looking at his bloody hand. “What the fuck did you do to yourself?”

“Took you long enough,” Kouga growled, but he accepted Inuyasha’s hand with his own, non-bloody one. They shook briefly, their eyes meeting in a quick recognition of the situation. Then, Kouga stepped out through the door and into the hallway.

“When we get out of here,” Sango hissed angrily, “remind me to murder you, Kouga.”

“Me?” Kouga whispered in a shocked tone, trying to avoid yelling. “Why?”

Sango rounded on him, trying like crazy to keep her voice down. “Because this ‘rescue operation’—” she paused to use scare quotes “—has Kagome’s name written all over it. You are like two hundred years older and infinitely stronger than her. You should have just thrown her over your shoulder or something and locked her up until we could get there.”

Kouga growled. “You fucking know her,” he said in a harsh whisper. “You know what she’s like. She would have purified me if I tried to stand in her way. It was either help her, or get turned to ash.”

Inuyasha snorted. He doubted very much Kagome would have done _that_ , but…

He couldn’t exactly say he was thrilled with Kouga, either.

For a variety of reasons.

“Tell us what happened, wolf,” Inuyasha muttered, his ears twitching madly, his nose desperate to follow Kagome’s scent. He was on high alert. It would be up to Sango to do most of the processing of what Kouga told them.

“We found her student,” Kouga said in a low voice. “She was in a room with…this fucking gigantic guy with a flail, and…Tsubasa Tsubaki.”

“You’re sure it was her, Kouga?” asked Inuyasha suddenly. Kouga paused, surprised. “Tall, with long, gray hair?”

Kouga nodded. “It was in a bun,” he replied, “but, yeah. It was definitely her.”

Inuyasha growled and pressed the claws in his non-armed hand into his palm.

“Matsushita?” Sango asked hesitantly.

“ _Fuck._ ” Inuyasha took deep breaths, in and out, trying to control himself. “ _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck_.” Each swear was accompanied by a claw stabbing his palm.

Sango reached out and grabbed his hand. “Matsushita, for fuck’s sake!” she hissed. “What the _fuck_ is wrong with you?”

Inuyasha turned to Sango and Kouga. “They’re here,” he said angrily, not bothering to keep his voice down. “The Spiritualist Society is _fucking here_. For _her_.” It was all coming together for him; he started pacing the corridor, muttering to himself.

Kouga grabbed Inuyasha and shook him. “Hey!” he whispered severely. “What is going on?”

Inuyasha wrenched himself free from Kouga’s grasp. “This whole thing…it’s all connected,” he said hoarsely. “The missing mikos.” He rounded on Sango. “Tell me,” he choked out. “How do you think Tsuji Onigumo knew which mikos to kidnap?”

Sango blinked. “He does his research?”

“Or he has someone else do his research _for him_ ,” Inuyasha snapped. Sango’s eyes opened wide.

“Matsushita,” she breathed. “Holy fuck.”

“What?!” Kouga grunted.

Sango and Inuyasha looked at each other. “The Spiritualist Society provided info on the mikos to Tsuji,” Sango said shortly. “ _That’s_ why she’s here. _That’s_ why Kagome’s student was here. Who knows Kagome better as a miko than the Spiritualist Society? Than Tsubasa Tsubaki?” Her face was apoplectic. “If you’re right about this, Matsushita—”

“—I’m not fucking wrong, that’s for fucking sure,” he growled.

“—then we are in for a shit-load of trouble,” Sango finished. She sighed. “I wish Miroku was here. We need a spiritualist on our side.”

“Higurashi,” Inuyasha breathed. He paused, closing his eyes, his ears and nose twitching.

“Matsushita,” Sango breathed. He held up a finger to silence her. He took a deep sniff, then dropped to the ground on all fours, sniffing the floor, the walls. He jumped back to his feet.

“She’s down that way,” he said, pointing to their left. “There is a youkai with them—”

“—that would be Tsuji Onigumo—” Sango supplied.

“—and _the scent_ ,” Inuyasha said meaningfully. Sango’s eyebrows raised.

“Okay,” she said immediately. “We do this your way.” She turned to Kouga. “‘The scent’ is the guy who was at the school, and the Ito Shrine, and who took the Nomura girl.” Kouga growled. “Kouga,” Sango added, “are you cool with backing up Matsushita? I’m fine with him taking the lead on this—it’ll keep him from going batshit crazy at least a little longer than if I try to control him. And don’t deny it, Matsushita, you know that it’s true.”

“Keh,” said Inuyasha. He looked at Kouga.

The Lord of the East grumbled. “Fine,” he said, bowing slightly. “The Goraishi and I are at your service.”

Inuyasha cracked his claws. “We go in quietly,” he said. “The wolf and I will use our youki to suss out the situation. Can you disguise yours?” he asked Kouga, who nodded. “Great. Then let’s go get her.” He closed his eyes; Kouga did the same. Even though Sango couldn’t see their auras, she could tell that they were…disguising themselves, somehow. Their countenances seemed very different. Inuyasha in particular seemed quieter, calmer, more at ease. For now.

Inuyasha drew his weapon; Sango followed him, her firearm at the ready, and Kouga brought up the rear.

“Higurashi,” Inuyasha whispered. “Hang on. We’re coming.”

* * *

Kagome awoke with a start, trying to sit upright, but of course not being able to move. She snarled and flung her head back against the hard table. _Dammit!_ She cursed silently. _I can’t move. Fucking again!_

As her vision came back into focus, she blinked and began to look around. She was in some kind of a tube; it was huge, and she could see the lights all around her. She blinked. It…it looked like…

Kagome let out a stifled shriek. She was in one of the tubes that Tsuji Onigumo had created.

Oh, _shit._

They were gonna try and take her reiki.

Kagome took deep breaths, over and over, trying to keep herself from panicking. Her eyes darted around frantically, trying to assess what was happening. She could feel the cold metal bonds tying her to the table; they were around her wrists, her waist, and her ankles. She was stretched taut between them; there was no room for her to move.

_Fuck_. She was in trouble.

Kagome heard a switch flip, and the tube filled with static. “Higurashi-sama.” It was Tsuji. “Did you sleep well?”

“You better not be doing what I think you’re doing, Tsuji-san!” she shouted.

Tsuji laughed. “Whatever you’re imagining, Higurashi-sama,” he replied, “I can promise you that what’s actually going to happen will be much, much worse.”

Kagome sucked in a breath.

“It’s going to hurt, Higurashi-sama,” said Tsuji after a moment. “You’re going to be in a lot of pain, so much so that you’re going to wish you were dead. But don’t worry,” he added, “you’ll get to see your soulmate again. Whether he’s alive or dead is another story.”

“You leave Inuyasha alone, you bastard!” she screamed, now actively chafing against the metal bands.

“Oh, my dear, dear Higurashi-sama,” Tsuji replied, his tone apologetic, “he came for me first. If he had stayed away, he could have lived a great many years. Without his soulmate, of course, but he could have lived. However, he’s here, and he’s armed. We will not show him mercy.”

Kagome snorted. “You better hope that he shows _you_ mercy, Tsuji-san,” she retorted. Truthfully, she had no idea how powerful her soulmate was, but his brother _was_ the Lord of the West, and the greatest daiyoukai in the country. She figured Inuyasha had to be at least powerful enough to take out Tsuji.

“Matsushita Inuyasha is a pathetic half-breed who gave up his right to any respect the day he left his father’s manor,” Tsuji shot back. “You’re in for a world of disappointment, Higurashi-sama. Now, prepare yourself. Bankotsu is warming up the machine. It won’t be long before your reiki belongs to us.” He switched off the communicator.

Kagome started growling. She couldn’t fucking believe this! Her reiki belonged to no one but _her_. To no one but Higurashi Kagome!

Kagome paused, and took a deep breath. She wasn’t going to fucking lose. Not today. She closed her eyes, and tried to call forth her power.

_Nothing_. She had nothing.

But, it wasn’t like her reiki was gone. It was like it was… _blocked_ , somehow.

If only Kagome could figure out a way to unblock it.

She closed her eyes and reached deep inside the recesses of her mind, searching for something that might give her a clue as to how to reach her power. In her desperation, she thought of Inuyasha. What would he do if he were there? How could he help her?

_Inuyasha_ , her soul cried out. _Help me._

_INUYASHA._

And somewhere, out on the edges of her mind, she heard a reply. It was faint, but it was there.

_Kagome._

Tears streamed down her face as she realized that he had reached her.

_How_ had he reached her?

She really didn’t give a fuck in that moment.

He was _there_ , and he was looking for her.

She used every ounce of her soul and her very being to call out to him again. Wherever he was, he must have been close. She kept her message short.

_Inuyasha. Please, hurry!_

There was a silence; then, she heard him again:

_Kagome. Hang on. I’m coming._

Kagome took a deep breath.

_I’m here. Be careful. I love you._

It was the first time she’d said those words, and she suddenly wished she’d said them a thousand times. The first time she saw him; the first time their hands touched; the first time they kissed; the first time they made love: all these images zipped through her mind, relentless and searing. The tears flowed, fast and furious and full of a love she hoped she’d get to live to experience.

Then, the intercom switched back on, and Kagome’s eyes snapped open.

“Higurashi-sama.” It was Bankotsu this time. “We have about two minutes until we get started. Do you have any last requests before we take your reiki?”

Higurashi scoffed. “You won’t succeed,” she retorted. “Inuyasha is coming. And he’s gonna waste you.”

She could practically hear Bankotsu roll his eyes. “Sure, sure,” he responded. “What kind of music do you like?”

_Huh_? “What kind—of music?” she asked faintly.

“Music, Higurashi-sama,” he repeated impatiently.

“Umm…J-rock?” she said. “Like, visual kei?”

Bankotsu snorted. “Are you fucking kidding me?” He laughed. “Here’s some J-pop for you.”

Kagome grumbled as a particularly poppy tune blasted into her tube. She sighed and closed her eyes, shutting out the sound. She focused on her breathing, and on Inuyasha, hoping she could send out something, _anything_ , that would bring him to her. He was there, on the fringes of her consciousness, fighting to reach her. But whatever was blocking her reiki was blocking his aura, too.

Then the music cut out, and it was Tsuji who came on the intercom. “Higurashi-sama,” he said, “it’s time to say goodbye to your reiki.”

He shut off the intercom, and the entire tube filled with a bright light. Kagome felt a piercing pain just below her right collarbone; her reiki released, and she screamed, and screamed, and screamed.

* * *

Quiet.

It was _too_ quiet.

Inuyasha led the way down the corridor, towards the room where he knew Kagome was being kept. His eyes searched the darkness anxiously, and his ears were on a constant swivel, keen to detect _any_ noise that might signal danger for them. Sango followed, her eyes and ears not as sensitive as the hanyou and youkai flanking her, but she was still on high alert, her weapon drawn. Kouga took up the rear, watching behind him to make sure they were not being followed. While his ears weren’t as mobile as Inuyasha’s, they were no less effective. They made for an impressive and dangerous threesome making their way down the hall.

Inuyasha was trying not to show how fucking nervous he was. He didn’t have any fear for himself, for Kouga, or hells, even for Sango—they were all powerful in their own respects and could hold their own in a fight. He was, however, terrified that something would happen to Kagome before they were able to get to her. He knew that Tsubasa and Tsuji were after Kagome’s reiki—and now that she was soulmated, her power was growing and he also knew just how desirable she had suddenly become.

A shift in the air caused Inuyasha to pause. He held up his hand to Sango and Kouga; Kouga pressed forward, past Sango, and added his hearing to the hanyou’s. Together they listened; there was a soft, but clear, clinking coming down the hallway. Kouga lifted his nose slightly, and his face hardened. He turned to Inuyasha.

“It’s the fucking guy who knocked me out before.” He barely breathed it, but Inuyasha heard him, plain and simple, as though he’d been speaking in a normal tone. Inuyasha nodded, and motioned for Sango to stay back. She frowned, but blinked her agreement.

The flail came first, hard and fast, out of the darkness. Kouga barely had time to activate the Goraishi and use it to block the other weapon from killing both himself and Inuyasha. There was a loud swear, and then the flail’s owner came into the dim light of the hallway, the whites of his eyes gleaming.

“NPA!” Sango shouted, holding her firearm steady.

“Like I give a fuck,” the man said casually, slinging his flail over his shoulder and crouching as though ready to rush them.

“Kouga,” Inuyasha said warningly.

“Fuck protocol, mutt,” Kouga retorted. “This asshole knocked the shit out of me.” He flexed the Goraishi and moved into a crouched attack stance. “He’s fucking mine.”

Inuyasha held up his hands and stepped back, allowing Kouga to take the lead. Guns weren’t going to do anything against this guy…he was a fucking mountain. The Goraishi might be the only way to really challenge him.

The man roared and rushed at them. Inuyasha grabbed Sango and flung her back as Kouga met his opponent; Goraishi struck metal and sparks flew as the flail’s chain wrapped around the talons of Kouga’s ancient weapon. Kouga growled and thrust his leg into the man’s gut, forcing him to grunt and fall back.

“Now,” Kouga growled, pacing the narrow hallway and baring his teeth, “what I want to know is, who the _fuck_ are you, and where the _fuck_ is Kagome?”

The man grinned. “I’m Kyoukotsu, and I work for Tsuji-shachou,” he said slowly, raising his flail again, “and I enjoyed knocking the shit out of you once, wolf, and will enjoy it even more a second time!”

Kouga bellowed and crouched as the flail soared over his head. He launched the Goraishi forward, once again meeting the flail, sparking as the barbed head met Kouga’s talons. Kouga swung his fist and hit Kyoukotsu in the chest; Kyoukotsu barely moved, instead throwing a return blow that caught Kouga on the side of the head. Sango cried out as Kouga staggered, but he didn’t fall; instead, he held up a hand to hold the others back, swiftly getting his bearings in time to dodge another blow and run the Goraishi down the length of Kyoukotsu’s right arm. Kyoukotsu howled as Kouga drew blood and hurled himself at the Lord of the East. Kouga jumped sideways, resting his whole body on the weight of his non-Goraishi hand, and propelled himself into Kyoukotsu, driving his feet squarely into the man’s gut, so hard Kyoukotsu’s belly fluttered outward from Kouga’s feet in concentric circles. Kyoukotsu let out a swath of air and fell onto his back, hard, his head hitting the concrete floor with a sickening crack. Kouga sprang back to his feet and eyed Kyoukotsu warily, the Goraishi gleaming. Inuyasha gestured for Sango to stay put and came up behind Kouga.

“What do you think?” Inuyasha asked in a low voice.

“Dunno,” replied Kouga. “What do you hear?”

“Breathing is shallow, but still there,” Inuyasha said. “He’s not dead.” He turned and tossed his gun to Sango, then cracked his claws. “I feel like this needs to be done the old-fashioned way, don’t ya think?”

Kouga grunted out a harsh smile. “Whatever, mutt. This asshole is human. He’s a fucking mountain, but he’s human.”

“So then we tear him limb from limb,” Inuyasha growled. Kouga gave him a curt nod.

They watched as Kyoukotsu staggered to rise, the flail left by his feet. Inuyasha let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. That was a good sign. He and Kouga were excellent fighters. Kouga had the Goraishi, and Inuyasha had a few tricks of his own. Without the advantage of the flail, they could take him.

The size of the corridor was going to be a problem, though. Would they be able to get enough leverage against a guy built like a tree?

The wolf and the dog briefly exchanged a look, and they nodded at each other. Kouga mouthed, “One…two…three!” and they leapt into action.

Kyoukotsu was still trying to get his bearings when Inuyasha launched his attack, shouting “ _Sankou Tessou!_ ” and tearing his claws across Kyoukotsu’s chest, then his midsection, grunting when he felt the man’s blood coating his claws and spurting out across the floor. Kyoukotsu shouted and swung wildly at Inuyasha, who merely dodged and ran his claws through Kyoukotsu’s left arm, catching the bone this time and yanking out a good piece of flesh. Kyoukotsu howled, clutching his arm.

“Mutt!” shouted Kouga harshly in warning, his right arm raised.

Inuyasha bounced back as Kouga unleashed the Goriashi on Kyoukotsu; there was a huge blast of light, a scream from Kyoukotsu, and then, silence and darkness.

Inuyasha’s vision returned quickly as he blinked away the light from the Goraishi. When he could see again, he found Kouga leaning over Kyoukotsu’s body, a talon from the Goraishi jammed through the man’s skull, electricity still shooting from the weapon. Kyoukotsu was seizing slightly. Kouga grunted and retracted the Goraishi’s claws, and Kyoukotsu stilled, his blood and entrails making for a slippery surface to walk on. Kouga stared at Sango and Inuyasha, a grim look on his face.

“Holy fucking hells, Kouga,” breathed Sango, “I take it back. You get us out of here alive, and I won’t kill you.”

Kouga chuckled. “I’ll hold you to that, Murasaki.” He turned to Inuyasha. “Anything on Kagome?”

Inuyasha growled and scented the air. “Fuck,” he cursed, “it’s too full of that bastard Kyoukotsu to tell for sure where she is. I think we should continue this way, though…” he paused as a massive pain shot through his skull. He fell to his knees and clutched his head, trying to detect the source of the pain.

It was Kagome. She was calling him.

_INUYASHA._

She sounded faint, far away—or like she was underwater. It was hard to hear her.

_How_ was she calling him?

He didn’t care.

Keeping his youki disguised, he reached back out to her.

_Kagome_.

“Inuyasha?” Sango’s voice was hesitant. Inuyasha threw up a finger to silence her, then continued to concentrate. Sango looked at Kouga; he shook his head slightly, keeping his eyes on Inuyasha the whole time.

He heard her again; this time, it was a little longer, but still faint.

_Inuyasha. Please, hurry!_

Inuyasha heard the terror in her voice; his heart stopped. He needed to reassure her; they needed to move fast.

_Kagome. Hang on. I’m coming._

He turned to Kouga and Sango. “We move,” he said sharply, “and we move _now_.” He took off down the corridor, no longer caring about being quiet, Kouga and Sango at his heels.

Inuyasha heard once more from Kagome, before he felt like she was completely cut off from him. There was a deep, sighing breath, and then words that simultaneously thrilled and chilled him:

_I’m here. Be careful. I love you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo...it took looking at certain death to get her to do it, but Kagome has _finally_ told Inuyasha that she loves him! ❤️❤️ Finally, girl!
> 
> In the next chapter, events come to a climax when the search for Kagome gets more intense, and Inuyasha gets more desperate. What will they find? Can Kagome get herself out of this situation, or will Inuyasha have to come to her rescue? As always, thanks so much for reading, and I will see you at the next update, on Sunday, Sept. 13! Everyone, take care until then!


	30. Better Timing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha, Kouga, and Sango track down Kagome, but her situation is dire. Inuyasha learns something shocking. They come face-to-face with (some of) the persons responsible for the kidnapping and murdering of the mikos, and are able to put more of the pieces of the puzzle together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the anime and/or manga.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you're safe and doing well.
> 
> Welcome to Chapter 30 of Spirited Soulmates! A LOT happens in this chapter, so I hope you are prepared!!
> 
> I also wanted to take a second to say THANK YOU to everyone who has lefts kudos and/or comments on this story. Your kind words have meant more to me than you will ever know. And I really and truly enjoy reading your thoughts--they have motivated me to keep writing during a time where I didn't know if I could, or if I even wanted to. I love this story, and these characters, so much, and it gives me life to know that you enjoy them too. 
> 
> And a super special thank you to [NeutronStarChild](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeutronStarChild), [Ruddcatha](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ruddcatha), and [gribedli](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gribedli), for being supportive, amazing friends. I love you.
> 
> And now, please enjoy!!

The corridor was long, and dark, and winding, but Inuyasha pumped his legs over the concrete floor as quickly as he could, Kouga keeping pace easily behind him, Sango laboring behind. He knew he should wait for his partner—he really did!—but Kagome was in danger. She was _in danger_. They were going to take her reiki.

They were going to take her reiki, and she was going to fucking die.

It was all he could do to keep from letting loose a wild howl. Desperately, he was trying to cling to his humanity—if he went full youkai again, he wouldn’t have control of his reasoning, and he could fuck everything up badly.

 _You’re in control_ , he told himself as he ran. _You’re in control, and everyone here is counting on you._

_Kagome is counting on you._

When the corridor split in two different directions, Inuyasha paused for a second, quickly scenting the air. The _scent_ traveled down and to the left, as did Kagome’s. He jerked his head to Kouga and Sango, and took off down the hall.

“Ugh,” Sango commented to Kouga, “why is he always so _fucking fast_?”

Kouga chuckled sadly. “You telling me that you wouldn’t be moving heaven and all the hells to get to the monk if he were the one in danger.”

Sango snorted. “Half this place would be blown up by now if that were the case.”

Kouga offered her a grim half-smile. He had always liked Sango, even if she was the mutt’s partner.

They were shocked when Inuyasha held up his hand and skidded to a halt. His ears swiveled madly, as though trying to pick up a sound. Kouga paused, listening. He nudged Inuyasha, who looked at him, golden eyes gleaming in the low lights of the hallway. Kouga tapped the wall twice, then put his ear up to it. Inuyasha nodded and made to do the same, but he didn’t have to, because they could all hear what happened next.

Someone was screaming. And screaming. And screaming.

 _Kagome_.

Inuyasha let out a massive roar and reared his fist back. With a grunt he punched the wall, as hard as he could, leaving a dent in the concrete. He looked at Kouga, his eyes wild and desperate. Kouga nodded; Sango watched, in awe, as together they began beating the hell out of the concrete wall. Grunting and howling and roaring and hurling curse after curse, they slowly made the dent bigger and bigger, cracks shooting out from the epicenter where they focused their energy.

“God-fucking-dammit!” Inuyasha howled. “ _BREAK!”_ Kouga leapt back as Inuyasha let loose a huge burst of energy from his youki through his fist, and flew through the wall, concrete and dust and debris soaring around him. Inuyasha somersaulted and landed neatly on his feet, frantically searching through the fog that blew up from the shattered concrete.

In a second, Kouga and Sango were by his side, coughing and sputtering. “Where—” Sango wheezed. “Do you still scent her, Matsushita?”

Inuyasha’s nose twitched. “Not with all this shit…” his eyes widened. “Holy fucking hell,” he breathed, clutching at his heart as that searing pain returned, radiating down from his shoulder into the rest of his body.

They could hear her again. She was screaming, but this time, the scream was incredibly desperate, and terrified.

She was screaming for _him_.

“ _Inuyasha!”_ her voice exploded in the room. “ _Inuyasha!_ ”

Inuyasha desperately wished that he had something—anything—to see through the rock and debris. “Fuck, fuck, FUCK!” he shouted.

“Here,” Kouga said, “let me. _Goraishi!_ ” He whipped his weapon through the air, effectively getting rid of any remaining dust from their efforts.

Even though Kagome’s screaming hadn’t stopped, Inuyasha, Kouga, and Sango froze.

They were in a control room, where a man with a long, black braid sat at a desk chair, coughing frantically. Next to him was Tsuji Onigumo, as well as…

“ _The scent_ ,” Inuyasha growled.

He was a young man, younger than Sango and Kagome, for sure. His dark hair hung loosely about his face, and was pulled back into a half pony-tail. His dark eyes twinkled at them. He was…beautiful? But his face wore a deadly smirk.

Inuyasha growled again. This was the fucking guy. The one who had been in Kagome’s school. Who had taken her friend. Who had taken her student.

Sango drew her weapon and pointed it at the three men. She briefly glanced above them. A huge glass window separated them from the testing area, where she could see a large tube filled with an insanely bright pink light. Only one person had reiki that bright, and that pink. “Kagome’s in there, Matsushita,” Sango said desperately. “Go and get her.” She leveled her gaze at Tsuji, Bankotsu, and the third man, who grinned at her jovially. “Kouga and I’ll hold these fuckers.” She grinned right back at the third man; if she’d had fangs, they would have been dripping.

“You can’t just go in there!” Bankotsu shouted. “She’s a test subject! You’ll disrupt the test!”

Inuyasha grabbed Bankotsu by the collar of his shirt and tossed him aside so violently he hit the wall with a crash and his body seeped slowly to the floor. His head was resting at an awkward angle. He did not move.

“You better not have killed my head of research and development, Matsushita-san,” said Tsuji Onigumo, rising from his chair. Kagome’s screams were growing louder. Inuyasha’s mind reeled. He had to get the _fuck_ in there.

“Who gives a shit, Tsuji,” Inuyasha growled. “I’m going to get Kagome out of there.”

“Not so fast, Matsushita-san,” said Tsuji easily. His youki billowed up around him, dark and menacing. “Do you think I’ll just let you walk in there and take my number one subject? I’ve been waiting for her for a long time. Oh yes,” he added when Inuyasha dropped to all fours and began to growl, “Tsubasa-sama and I were beginning to think that we wouldn’t ever find Higurashi-sama’s soulmate. We all thought for sure it would be the wolf—” Kouga now also bared his teeth and began to snarl “—but after the Treaty was signed, it became clear that it wasn’t him. Thankfully we had Nakaya-sama to do our first test run; we were lucky that her soulmate ended up being one of my employees. Suikotsu was more than willing to offer up his soulmate as a test subject in order to control her reiki.”

“What the fuck did you do to Kikyo?!” Inuyasha roared, his last shreds of humanity barely holding on.

“Nothing that we won’t also do to Higurashi-sama,” Tsuji answered. The man next to Tsuji reached into his pocket and drew a gun, and pointed it right at Sango, who immediately swiveled around and held both her own and Inuyasha’s firearm steady on him. “If you refuse to stand down, Matsushita-san, your partner will get it. And Jakotsu is an excellent shot.” Jakotsu grinned again and held his weapon steady, his dark eyes grim against his brilliant smile.

Inuyasha looked frantically between Tsuji, Jakotsu, the window where he could hear Kagome’s screams, and Sango.

“What the fuck are you doing, Matsushita!” yelled Sango. “Go get her!”

But Inuyasha was frozen. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t make that kind of decision.

“Go!” she shouted again. “Go, _NOW!_ ”

Inuyasha started to move, but a massive jolt of electricity shot from the test room into the control room, flashing pink; it shattered the window and sent shards of glass flying. Inuyasha grabbed Sango and forced her down; Kouga dropped to his belly as fragments went everywhere. Light filled the room, causing everyone to go temporarily blind. All they could do was cover their heads as glass poured down on their bodies.

When the light at last faded, Inuyasha looked up. The window had been completely blown out, and everyone, including Tsuji, was still cowering on the ground. Inuyasha rose, leaving Sango unconscious beside him, approached the control panel and peered through the now-empty window frame.

“ _Higurashi?!_ ”

* * *

The searing pain had entered her chest much too quickly for Kagome to react. She had been expecting something much slower and more gradual, so that she would have time to acclimate herself to the pain and perhaps find a way out of the situation, or at the very least, leave a piece of her reiki behind, much like Junoichi-sensei had. But it overwhelmed her very being so quickly and devastatingly that all Kagome could do was scream.

And scream. And scream.

Because _fuck_ , it fucking _hurt_ , and it felt like someone was trying to suck the life force right out of her, and replace it with something dark—something terrifying.

 _That’s exactly what_ is _happening_ , she thought, as the terror coursed through her body.

The pain was insurmountable; Kagome knew this must be what it feels like to die. This must be what it feels like to die, and ascend, and pretty soon, she’d meet Amaterasu, who would ask if she wanted to be reincarnated. And of course, she would say _yes_ , so that she could meet Inuyasha again in her next life.

 _Fuck it all_ , this wasn’t going to take her away from him. Not if she could help it.

Kagome’s eyes flailed around the tube wildly. She could see the laser, positioned over her body, shooting into the spot where she knew they’d inserted the microchip. A spot on her triple warmer meridian.

The spot from which they were taking her reiki, and trying to replace it with jyaki.

As she prepared to resign herself to death, she heard a gigantic crash from somewhere. She knew who it was. So she changed her screams.

“ _Inuyasha!_ ” she screamed with all that she was. “ _Inuyasha_!”

She heard him swearing, and in the middle of her screams, she really wanted to laugh. Because he was _here_ , and he was cursing someone out, and it was so like him that relief was starting to flood her body, despite the indescribable pain.

A jolt of electricity caused her to bring her attention back to her body. No longer was the flow of energy from her to the machine even and measured. It was coming in fits and spurts, longer and shorter. She felt as though her reiki was trying to resist, to push back on the jyaki, as though she might have a chance against this thing after all.

 _She could do this. She could fight_.

Kagome’s screams became less frantic, more measured, less desperate, and more her screaming to collect herself and prepare.

She took careful breaths through her nose. _You are more powerful than you were three days ago_ , she told herself. _You know this. You have Inuyasha’s strength to help you. You have your own power and your own confidence._

_You can totally fucking do this._

Kagome took one last deep breath and screamed with all her might. Her reiki shot out of her body in a huge, blinding, pink light. She went momentarily blind as she felt her powers radiate from her like a massive sound wave. She heard—no, she _felt_ —the laser shatter, felt the part of the machine that held it crack and break. The entire machine shuddered; the bolts came loose, and the entire thing soon was falling around her.

And now she was screaming, not because of the pain radiating from her shoulder, but because she was about to be crushed by the massive MRI-like machine going to pieces on top of her, and she was _not_ going to die like that.

Not today.

Kagome did the only thing she knew to do when the world was falling down around her.

And then she closed her eyes, and she waited.

* * *

Inuyasha could barely see, and he couldn’t think at all. All he could do was propel himself through the glass-fringed window frame and launch himself at the destroyed machine. He could see a faint pink light emanating from inside the rubble, and he knew—he just fucking _knew_ —she was okay.

With a strength that not even he knew that he possessed, Inuyasha began tossing aside the massive pieces of metal and plastic. He had to get to her. He didn’t know how long she’d be able to hold up under all that weight.

Piece after piece of molten and twisted metal and plastic came apart in his hands, cutting his palms, destroying his fingers. He didn’t give a fuck. If anything, the pain made him work even faster, digging through the rubble, trying to uncover that speck of light he’d seen.

And then, there it was, a deep and dusky rose, but intact.

A barrier.

Kagome had made a _fucking barrier_.

Inuyasha rapidly uncovered her entire body, then reached for her. When his hand made contact with her shoulder, Kagome opened her eyes. She saw his face, engulfed with relief, and dropped her barrier. He thought he saw Kagome offer a hint of a smile.

“ _Inu-yasha?_ ” she said hesitantly. “Is—is it you?”

Tears began careening down his face, dripping off his cheeks and chin and making small dots on his shirt. “Ka—Kagome,” he said hoarsely, and he bent down to kiss her, allowing himself to briefly revel in the thrum of electricity between them.

Her lips were dry, and she was trembling, but it was her. Inuyasha hovered over her for a moment, allowing himself to ghost her lips and enjoy the feel of her close to him again. His youki practically purred at her presence, and he went to kiss her again, more deeply.

“You know,” he whispered against her lips, “you picked a helluva time to confess your love.”

She giggled. “Keeping you on your toes is kind of my thing,” she breathed, a hint of huskiness in her tone. He let out a little growl and made to kiss her yet again.

Before he could, though, he felt a hand feebly tap his side. “I—I can’t move,” she said lamely, waving her hands at him. He blinked, and realized that she was bound to the table by metal bonds. Immediately his mood shifted from loving to absolutely furious.

“Fuck,” he grunted, enraged. “ _Fuck_.”

“Can you—get me out of here, Inuyasha?” she asked softly.

Inuyasha ran his hands over the bonds carefully, wincing slightly as the cool metal came into contact with his injuries that were already healing, but still present. He looked down at his claws. Could he free her himself? He leaned down to carefully inspect the table, and realized that the metal bonds were screwed into it.

 _Wait_. That he could work with.

“Higurashi,” he said roughly, “I’m gonna get you out of here. I promise.” He flicked up one claw, and started to work the screw. It was a Phillips head, so it was fairly easy to wedge his claw in and twist. He worked the screw as quickly as he could, and within thirty seconds he had the first one out.

“That’s one,” he said. “I’m gonna get the rest. It’ll take me a few minutes. Hang tight, okay?”

She smiled up at him, beautiful, tired. “I don’t think I can go anywhere, Inuyasha.”

He leaned forward and kissed her again; this time, the electricity that shot between their bodies was almost more than he could handle. His cock immediately went rock-hard and he almost doubled over from the shock of it.

 _Fuck_ , he thought. _Why here? Why NOW?_

Kagome’s eyes went wide as she saw him step back and cringe. “Are you all right?” she asked frantically.

Inuyasha closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. Slowly, the throbbing in his groin faded. “Yeah,” he said faintly, “yeah. I’m okay.” He looked down at her; her blue-gray eyes were clouded with exhaustion and concern. “Just hold on, all right?”

She gave a tiny nod. “Okay.”

Inuyasha worked as quickly as he could, but it still took him several minutes to unscrew all the bonds and set her free. When the last screw fell away, and he was able to free her right wrist, he yanked her off the bed and pulled her close to him. She smelled of lavender and vanilla, of pain, and of several men in particular.

Inuyasha immediately growled. He knew who they were; he’d just left them back in the other room.

He pushed his anger down temporarily and allowed her to pull back from him slightly. His eyes traveled anxiously over her body. “You’re—you’re sure you’re okay?” he asked her hoarsely.

She smiled softly. “Yeah,” she said. “I just—I missed you, Inuyasha.”

“Oh, _fuck_ ,” he said, and crushed her lips to his. The electricity they’d felt when she was tied to the table was still there, rough and dangerous and humming just below the surface of their bodies. He needed her, in the _worst_ way.

But there were other things he had to attend to first. Things that he was really gonna fucking enjoy.

“Do—” she said breathily when they broke apart “—do you know what happened?”

Inuyasha’s heart clenched. “I—I could hear you calling out to me,” he said. “In my mind.”

“I could hear you too,” she admitted quietly.

“ _How_ were we able to do that?” he asked her.  
  
“I don’t really know,” she said. “Usually it’s only spiritualists who can communicate with each other telepathically, and only spiritualists who are closely bonded, like parent-child, or soulmated spiritualists. I was able to do it with Junoichi because I bonded myself to her soul beyond the grave…” she stopped suddenly, her eyes wide. She took a shaky step back from him.

“Inuyasha,” whispered Kagome, “your aura.”

He stared at her, his head cocked to the side, his ears twitching. “My—aura?” Inuyasha said faintly.

“It’s _different_ ,” she said, “it’s red, and, it’s got a little bit of _gold_ in it, too.”

Inuyasha choked. “ _Gold_?” he said incredulously.

“Inuyasha.” Kagome’s voice was quiet. “Your mother was a miko.”

“Yeah, but so what?” he said simply. “Like I told you, she didn’t have a lot power…” He bit back a growl, understanding her point at last. “ _My mother was a miko_.”

They paused for a moment, gazing deeply into each other’s eyes, the understanding clear, and significant, and meaningful. _She_ was a miko. _He_ was a hanyou…

A hanyou with _reiki_.

“Higurashi,” he said roughly, drawing her back to him again, “what does this mean?”

Kagome shook her head. “I—I don’t know,” she said lamely. “But I think we need to talk about once we get out of here, don’t you?”

He nodded. “Duly noted,” Inuyasha replied. She sighed and leaned up to kiss him, and this time was wholly cognizant of the fact that even his _kiss_ tasted differently. Like it had a spark that it hadn’t had before. And _fuck_ , if it didn’t go right to the heat of her sex.

“So,” she said roughly, trying to distract him (although his fanged grin told her it wasn’t working), “what—what happened exactly? How did you get in here?”

“You—you were screaming,” he said lamely. “So loudly, like you were in the worst pain you’d ever experienced.”

“It—it was pretty bad,” she acknowledged.

“Then we saw a massive pink light, and the fucking window shattered,” he added. “Do you know why?”

Kagome was silent for a moment. “I—I heard you,” she said quietly, thoughtfully. “I was ready to die, to give myself up and be reincarnated so we could meet again. But then I heard you, and I knew that I had to fight with everything I had in me to get back to you. And my reiki had a massive surge, and everything start coming apart and shattering, and I put up the barrier to protect myself. And that’s—that’s how you found me,” she finished. “What do you think it was?”

Inuyasha thought for a moment. “I don’t know,” he said honestly. “But if I had to guess, I would say that all that power that Tsubasa is afraid of? It just came raining down on all of us. It just _saved_ you, Higurashi.” He crushed her to him again. “It fucking saved you.”

They heard shouts and muffled movements from the other room.

“Oi, mutt!” called Kouga. “We need you here, _now_!”

“In a minute, wolf!” shouted Inuyasha. “I’m kind of busy here!”

There was a loud crash, and then…

“ _NOW_ , _MATSUSHITA!_ ” That was Sango, and she sounded _pissed_.

Inuyasha and Kagome looked at each other. Inuyasha lifted Kagome easily in his arms, and leapt back through the empty window frame, ignoring the glass that was attacking the bottoms of his legs.

Inuyasha set Kagome down gingerly; she leaned on him for support, and he slipped an arm around her, tucking her into his side. “What’s up, Murasaki?” he asked.

When Sango saw Kagome, the relief on her face was palpable, but only for a second. Her face immediately hardened. “Tsuji got away,” she said shortly. “This one—” she gestured to Bankotsu “—is still out cold, but Tsuji and Jakotsu escaped after Kagome’s light show.”

Inuyasha let out a roar of anger. “Fuck, Murasaki!” he bellowed. “What the _fuck_ were you doing?”

“I was _passed out_ , _MATSUSHITA_ ,” she replied angrily. “What the _fuck_ were you doing?”

“Saving Higurashi, thank you very much,” he said. Then, he looked around. “Where the fuck is the wolf?”

“Kouga?” said Kagome. “Kouga is here?”

“Yeah,” Inuyasha said. “We took out some fucker named Kyoukotsu, and then we tore a hole in the wall.” Kagome’s eyes got wide. “Where the fuck did he go?”

“He went after Tsuji and Jakotsu, you ass!” Sango bellowed. “He’s doing your fucking job!”

“I _did_ my fucking job, Murasaki!” retorted Inuyasha. “I fucking saved Higurashi!”

“Can…can I say something?” Kagome said timidly. Sango and Inuyasha paused their ragings long enough to look at her.

“Inuyasha…can you go after Kouga and Tsuji and Jakotsu?” she added. “Sango can help me. We’ll be fine.”

“You won’t be fucking ‘fine,’” he said frantically. “You are fucking _injured_. I can smell it. You need to be checked out, _now_.”

“I will take her to get checked out, Matsushita,” Sango said testily. “Get your ass going. Kouga’s going to need your help.”

“Keh,” said Inuyasha, “like that fucker would accept my help.”

“You two worked pretty damn well as a team not fifteen minutes ago,” Sango pointed out, Kagome’s eyes going wide at that tidbit of information. “Now, get the fuck going.”

Inuyasha lifted Kagome into his arms quickly and kissed her. “I’ll see you outside,” he said hoarsely. “Don’t do anything fucking stupid, okay?”

Kagome smiled wanly. “Okay.” She paused. “I love you.”

He grinned at her. “I love you, Higurashi. And that was better timing.” He looked at Sango. “Take care of her, okay?”

“You got it,” Sango said firmly.

Inuyasha nodded at them once, then climbed back through the hole and into the corridor.

Kagome tried to track his youki, but she realized that he had disguised it.

He was gone.

Her heart began to hurt, and she collapsed against Sango, the weight of the day finally getting to her.

“Kagome, Kagome,” said Sango softly, “hang on. Can you make it back outside? Totosai and the NPA are here. They’re on the first floor, arresting people left and right.” Sango took off her jacket and slipped it around Kagome’s shoulders; her friend was in nothing but a hospital gown.

Kagome looked up at her friend, smiling gratefully at Sango’s gesture. “I totally can,” she said. “But—” her eyes swiveled to Bankotsu. “Can we see what that asshole knows first?”

* * *

A slap to his face brought Bankotsu around. He groaned loudly, and looked up, blinking the world back into focus. He thought for a second he was losing his mind, because he could see Higurashi Kagome and another woman standing over him, each of them pointing a firearm right at him.

“Wha—” he murmured. “What in the hells happened?”

“Me,” Kagome said forcefully. Sango looked at her friend, startled. Kagome was glowing bright pink and looked angry as fuck. “I happened.”

“Higurashi—sama?” Bankotsu struggled to sit up, but his whole body really fucking hurt. Especially his neck.

“You got pretty fucked up, Bankotsu Aomori, head of Tsuji Onigumo’s Research and Development,” Sango said, aiming her firearm right at his chest. “Your latest test subject was a little too powerful for your machine there. She fucked you up good.”

Bankotsu groaned. “Higurashi-sama…did this?” he asked faintly.

Kagome leaned on Sango for a moment, then squatted down to Bankotsu’s height, sitting back on her haunches slightly to balance herself. She kept the firearm steady, though. “Do you want to tell me what the _fuck_ you were trying to do to me?” she hissed. “Because I almost fucking _died_ , and I want to know why.”

Bankotsu blanched. “Where’s Tsuji-shachou?”

Sango snorted. “Gone. And that other guy—Jakotsu?—with him. Moriyama-sama and Matsushita went after him. I would estimate he’ll be toast in about ten minutes.” She paused. “If you tell us what you know, maybe we’ll be able to work out a deal for you.”

Not it was Bankotsu’s turn to snort. “Give me a fucking break,” he said. “Like I would tell you what happened.”

Kagome reached out for Sango, who was immediately by her side. Kagome used Sango’s arm to pull herself to standing. She was shaky, but by the gods, she was going to find the strength to get through the next few minutes. Until she and Inuyasha were reunited.

Then, and only then, could she fall apart.

“Okay, Bankotsu,” Kagome said, “let me guess what happened.” She tried to pace confidently around the room, but only able to toddle about a bit. “Tsuji wanted two things: revenge against me for the Human-Youkai Treaty, and to control mikos in general to even the playing field between youkai and humans. He hoped that with depleted spiritualist ranks, youkai could wage war against humans and win. Tsubaki-sama wanted to take the reiki of soulmated mikos for some reason, but I wasn’t soulmated and that changed your plans. You went after Kikyo-sama instead and continued to focus on your research. There haven’t been any soulmated mikos since Kikyo-sama, so you started to target unmated mikos, still waiting for me. Tsubaki-sama found the mikos; Tsuji sent his minions to collect them; you experimented on them.” She grinned, her eyes steel and glinting. “How am I doing so far?”

Bankotsu grunted and said nothing.

“Let me continue, then,” she said, her mind struggling to synthesize all that she had learned from Tsuji and what she’d been able to put together, both on her own and with Inuyasha’s help. “Your experiments with unmated mikos weren’t going so well. You weren’t getting the results you wanted. Mikos kept dying. This was a problem; you didn’t want to kill them, because that would be too messy. You only wanted to steal their reiki. You needed another soulmated miko, and then I came along, and everything fell into place, didn’t it?”

“Yes! It was always supposed to be you!” Bankotsu shouted suddenly. Kagome stilled; Sango looked furious. “You were always the one we wanted—the one Tsuji wanted. The only one. He thought for sure the wolf was gonna be your soulmate, and so we waited, but you never…” he actually blushed here “…nothing ever happened between you two. His plans for revenge on hold, Tsuji set his sights elsewhere.”

“To Nakaya Kikyo,” Sango supplied.

“Yes,” Bankotsu agreed. “Nakaya Kikyo is soulmated to one of my colleagues, a man named Suikostu.” His eyes narrowed. “Apparently Tsubasa-sama has been sealing the reiki of soulmated mikos for some time, but wanted a more…permanent…effort. Since you’re the most powerful miko in Japan, Tsubasa-sama really wanted to experiment on you first, and with Tsuji-shachou’s thirst for revenge, let’s just say they became a perfect match.”

“Revenge for what? The Human-Youkai Treaty?” Sango asked.

Bankotsu nodded. “But like I said, things didn’t work out, and I guess Tsubasa-sama was getting impatient. So when Nakaya-sama mated with Suikotsu, she convinced Tsuji-shachou that we should experiment on her, first.” He frowned. “From my understanding, Nakaya-sama was very powerful, but didn’t hold a candle to you.” Kagome snorted, her reiki flaring in her anger.

“Anyway,” Bankotsu continued, “Tsuji-shachou basically ordered Suikotsu to help him take Nakaya-sama’s power.” He paused. “I don’t think Suikotsu was too thrilled with the idea, but he didn’t have a lot of choice…Tsuji-shachou is very powerful and could have easily destroyed his career. I think that’s where Tsubasa-sama stepped in; from what I know, she convinced Suikotsu that it would be better if Nakaya-sama no longer had her powers—better for their marriage, I guess? I don’t really know. Tsubasa-sama lured her in, and we were able to successfully steal her reiki. The only thing was…”

“…there aren’t a lot of soulmated mikos around,” Kagome guessed.

“Exactly,” he agreed. “That’s why we started looking at the unmated mikos. We hoped we could replicate the study and steal their reiki too. But something was different in them; something was missing. We still aren’t exactly sure what; Tsuji wouldn’t let me do a lot of post-examination of the bodies. They were so distorted and drained after they lost their reiki and were infused with jyaki.”

“Oh,” Kagome said, laughing wildly now, “is _that_ what you’re calling it? Losing their reiki?” Her voice dropped. “How about you call it what it is?” she hissed. “You fucking stole it from them. You fucking killed them to steal their reiki, just like you tried to kill me.”

“You’re right,” he said apologetically. “Killing them was never my intention. That was a side effect only. I swear. And you would have lived; Nakaya-sama did.”

“That doesn’t fucking matter!” she shouted. “What gives any of you the right to steal our reiki?”

“Because it’s not fucking fair!” he shouted back. Kagome stilled; Sango looked at him with wide eyes. “It’s not fucking fair,” he repeated, practically spitting out the words, “that you get to have all this power, and we ‘normal’ humans get nothing.” He paused. “Why shouldn’t we all be equal?”

Kagome was practically apoplectic at this point. Her body glowed a fierce magenta, and her eyes were throwing daggers at Bankotsu.

“Do you not understand how spiritual power works?” she snarled, leaning down and getting right in Bankotsu’s face. “It’s a _part_ of us. It is part of who we _are_. It makes us _whole_. When you were removing our reiki, you were taking away part of our soul. That’s why those women looked the way that they did! Because they were literally half a person when you were done with them!” She was now pacing with an energy she didn’t know that she had within her, all her exhaustion suddenly gone. “Stealing mikos’ reiki,” she repeated, “taking away our livelihoods, and for what? For what purpose? So that you could feel like we were even? So that you could feel like we were the same? Oh, believe me, Bankotsu-san,” Kagome added, crouching down so they were practically face-to-face, “you and I? We will _never_ be the same. I actually give a shit about other people. But you?” She sighed and stood up. “You only give a shit about yourself.”

Kagome returned to Sango’s side. “The only thing I still don’t understand,” she said, “is why Tsubaki-sama would team up with Tsuji if he was trying to level the playing field between humans and youkai. What’s in it for her?”

Bankotsu shrugged. “I’m just the lead researcher. I don’t have psychological reads on the bosses. She was the one who approached Tsuji-shachou; she’s the one who knew what he was doing and wanted in. I guess you’d have to talk to her?”

Kagome made a sound of disgust and looked at Sango. “Aren’t you going to arrest him or something?”

Sango laughed in spite of herself. “Or something.” She crouched down and whipped out some handcuffs. She twisted Bankotsu around, causing him to wince in pain, and slapped them on his wrists. “Bankotsu Aomori,” she said, “you are under arrest for the kidnapping, murder, and attempted murder of numerous women, including a minor. You have the right to remain silent, and the right to have an attorney at your trial. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights as I have given them to you?”

Bankotsu grunted, but nodded. Sango smiled grimly.

“Now, Kagome,” said Sango, “let’s get Bankotsu back up to the main lobby, where I’m sure Totosai will be _very_ interested in meeting our friend, and then I think you need to find your soulmate. I don’t trust him alone with the wolf.”

Kagome sighed. “Me, either,” she said. Sango leaned down and pulled Bankotsu to his feet, the man protesting quietly. Kagome looked around the control room and shuddered. “Let’s get out of here,” she said. Sango nodded, and Kagome led the way, Sango dragging an injured, yet compliant, Bankotsu.

As soon as they stepped outside the hole in the wall, Kagome’s senses immediately spiked. She balanced herself against the wall for support.

“Kagome?” said Sango. “You okay?”

Kagome closed her eyes. “Inuyasha…” she said. “I think he’s in trouble.”

Sango’s face was set. “You need to go,” she replied. “I got this guy. He won’t try anything on me when I’ve got a gun pointed at his junk.” She lowered her weapon, and Bankotsu visibly flinched. “Can you find him?”

“If he lets his youki loose it will be easier,” answered Kagome, “but yeah. I think I can.”

“Take his gun,” Sango said, “and be careful.”

Kagome gave her friend a grateful grin. “I will,” she replied, “I love you.”

“I love you too, you baka,” Sango said. “I’m still super fucking pissed that you got us all into this mess, you know.”

“And we still haven’t found the other women,” Kagome said, frowning. She looked at Sango. “I’ll get to Inuyasha and Kouga, and then we’ll scent out the other mikos and rescue them. Okay?”

“No fucking way,” Sango retorted. “I’ll send Totosai down to retrieve them.”

“Fine,” Kagome sniffed. “Unless I get there first.” She started to jog away, none of the earlier tension in her body present.

Sango sighed. “You always have to have the hero, don’t you, Kagome-chan?” she said after her friend. Sango blinked once, then offered a ferocious kick to Bankotsu, who squealed with pain. “Come on, you fucker,” she said. “Let’s get you up to the first floor. We’ll get you checked out, and then off to jail. Where you’ll be for a long, long time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo....Inuyasha is a reiki-wielding hanyou?! I wonder how that will go... 🤔😂😏 Hopefully he will get some proper training, but who does he know that could do that for him?...
> 
>  _And_ what fresh hell has Inuyasha gotten himself into now? Will Kagome get to him in time, and be the BAMF we all know she's capable of being? 
> 
> We'll be back to our regular Sunday updates from now on, so I look forward to seeing you all back here then, when we're in OCTOBER!! As always, my friends, thank you so much for reading, and be well! 💖


	31. In Pursuit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha, Kouga, and Kagome try to get to Tsuji and Tsubasa, but _of course_ , there are obstacles in their path. Inuyasha fights to protect Kagome, who must also fight to protect herself. But can she?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you are safe and well.
> 
> Welcome to Chapter 31 of Spirited Soulmates! Shit continues to get real for our favorite hanyou and miko.
> 
> And I am _so excited_ to announce that Spirited Soulmates has been nominated for **Best Action** and **Best Romance** for the 4Q Inuyasha Fandom Awards, organized by the [Feudal Connection](https://feudalconnection.tumblr.com/)! Nominations are being accepted through October 15, and voting will begin October 29. See the Feudal Connection's Tumblr page (linked above) for more!
> 
> Please enjoy!

Inuyasha was fucking tired of running through dark corridors after his prey—suspects.

After the suspects.

 _Right_.

That’s what they were called.

Not _prey_.

(Holy _fuck_ , his youki was _humming_ with the need to stalk and take people out like the inu youkai he was—with his claws, and with his fangs, and slowly, and painfully.)

But when Kouga ran after Tsuji and Jakotsu, Inuyasha knew he had no choice but to follow the wolf. He didn’t want to leave Kagome yet _again_ when his senses were going bananas, but he couldn’t help it. He knew she was relatively safe with Sango and could take care of herself; she was injured, he was pretty sure, even if she didn’t want to admit it, but he also trusted her to pull it together enough to protect herself if need be. Plus, she and Sango were armed, and Sango at least knew how to use a gun.

The wolf’s scent was getting closer and Inuyasha could detect a hint of blood. He prayed that it was from the wolf’s earlier injury, and that he wasn’t barreling headfirst into a total shit show. Then, suddenly, he almost toppled over Kouga in the hallway, and would have roared out his frustration had the Lord of the East not clapped his hand over Inuyasha’s mouth. Inuyasha’s golden eyes moved about wildly, coming to rest on Kouga’s vibrant blue ones. Kouga’s hard face gave Inuyasha pause.

“They went through a door down and to the left,” Kouga whispered, so quietly that only another ookami or an inu youkai would be able to hear him. “There’s reiki in that room.”

“The women have had their reiki sealed,” Inuyasha whispered back, “so that means…”

“It’s Tsubasa,” Kouga replied quietly.

 _Fuck_. They both realized this put them at a serious disadvantage. While they were probably stronger than Tsuji and could most likely overpower him, Tsubasa would almost certainly attack with her reiki. Like Inuyasha, Tsuji was a hanyou: it wouldn’t kill him; any reiki attacks would just render him (and Inuyasha, for that matter) human. Kouga was a different worry. She _could_ kill him. And she’d already threatened to do so at least once.

“What if we go in with the Goraishi taking the lead?” Inuyasha murmured. “You blow the room to hell, and then we just waste everyone in there.”

Kouga nodded. “That sounds good to me, mutt. Let’s do it.” He made to get up, but Inuyasha put a hand on his arm to still him.

“Hey,” Inuyasha said quietly, “I am still really fucking pissed at you for going along with Higurashi’s insane and obviously flawed plan, but I totally get why you did it. And I also know why she refused to ask me for help, even if that also pisses me off to no end. Your plan to have Ginta call me…it worked, Kouga. We were able to get the whole NPA here inside of an hour. So…” Inuyasha was really struggling with this one, but he was gonna get it out if it killed him. “Thank you. Thank you for trying to protect her. And, for the record…” Inuyasha paused for a moment, deciding whether or not to even say this at all.

 _Fuck it all_ , he thought.

“I know how you feel,” he added. “About Higurashi. And how you feel about her being soulmated now. It happened to me. With Nakaya Kikyo. Six months ago.” He sighed. “And it _sucks_ , and you might be a bastard, but you did right by her today. I appreciate it. I don’t know if I could have done it, had I been in your shoes. I was pretty fucked up for a while. But you pulled your shit together…yeah.” He didn’t know what else to say.

Kouga’s face was impassive. Inuyasha wondered if this had been the right time to bare his soul to the wolf.

“Mutt,” Kouga replied, just as quietly, “thanks.”

Inuyasha set his jaw, and nodded. “Are you ready?” he asked.

Kouga nodded and cracked his knuckles. “Let’s fucking do this,” he growled.

Inuyasha took the lead and they raced down the dark hall, Inuyasha’s eyes glowing in the low lights. He tried to keep his breath steady as he ran, his youki fully under control and his reasoning fully intact. He knew what they were planning to do wasn’t the best idea, but he couldn’t think of anything better. They needed to get Tsuji and Jakotsu; they needed to get Tsubasa. Inuyasha knew this. And until Totosai and the rest of the NPA made their way down there, it was the best plan they had.

_Detain; delay; engage._

They reached the door where Kouga said he was sure they were hiding behind. Inuyasha turned to Kouga; Kouga nodded grimly. He lifted his right hand to unleash the Goraishi; Inuyasha threw open the door.

Suddenly, he felt that there wasn’t just one reiki signature; _there were three_. And they were being activated.

“Wait!” Inuyasha bellowed, grabbing Kouga by the arm and dragging him backwards.

The flood of reiki filled the room and poured out into the hallway, through the open door, barely missing Inuyasha and Kouga. The dog and the wolf scrambled backwards and covered their eyes; the light from the reiki was blinding. They had barely escaped with their youki intact.

As the light faded and the door slammed shut again, Inuyasha and Kouga lowered their hands from their eyes; Inuyasha turned to Kouga.

“I’m going in,” he said. “I want you to go get Totosai and have him send the squad he put together down here _now_.”

“Now, listen here, mutt…” Kouga began.

“Fuck listening!” Inuyasha whispered harshly. “ _NOW_. We need non-youkai down here to engage. They’re using the victims as a shield. We cannot fight with those women here.”

“And what the fuck are you going to do?” Kouga asked.

Inuyasha thought for a moment. “Distract them. Keep them talking. Try not to engage with them. And hopefully not kill anyone.” _Although that depends entirely on my youki and how much I’m able to hold onto my human sensibilities. And who the_ fuck _knows what my all-of-a-sudden reiki will do._

Kouga growled. “Good luck,” he said, grasping Inuyasha’s shoulder briefly. He took off down the hall, leaving Inuyasha to face the room with Tsuji, Jakotsu, and Tsubasa.

And the kidnapped mikos.

Inuyasha took a deep breath, and was about to blow the door to hell and get back into the room, when he scented lavender and vanilla barreling towards him. He turned to see Kagome, running down the hall, the opposite way from which Kouga had gone, wearing nothing more than her hospital gown and Sango’s jacket.

He groaned. What the _fuck_ was she doing here?

When she reached him, and Inuyasha saw her determined little face, Inuyasha tried not to grit his teeth.

“Higurashi,” he said shortly.

She reached him, her face determined and shining, and pressed her small hands into his. She grinned. “Let’s fucking do this,” she said.

He sighed, but nodded. He could tell that she wanted to help, and honestly, even with her increased power, he didn’t know what she would be able to do in a room of humans and hanyou. So now he was also gonna have to do whatever he could to keep her safe, and he didn’t know if he could do that _and_ do his job.

“Okay,” he said. “What do you have in mind?”

* * *

Kagome ran as fast as she could in her hospital gown, her bare feet slapping the concrete hallway floor over and over, making a reverberating sound against the hard surface. Her reiki was flaring up around her, making her glow that fierce magenta, but she didn’t care. She needed all of her power to find her soulmate—she had this deep, unsettling feeling that he was in trouble, and that she needed to get to him, and _fast_.

The overwhelming dread filling Kagome’s soul got more and more intense, the further away she ran from Sango, and the closer towards where Inuyasha had gone after Kouga. She could sense Inuyasha close by, but she also felt Kouga…running away?

Then she rounded the corner and caught sight of her soulmate. She skidded to a halt; her breath caught.

He was _beautiful_.

Inuyasha was standing outside the doorway, half bent over, facing her, trying not to breathe heavily. His silver hair hung madly about him; his leather jacket was threatening to fall off his shoulders. His golden eyes lifted as he detected her presence; they were watching her, glowing in the low lights of the hallway, somewhere between relief and anger. Maybe both.

Kagome froze. Maybe she shouldn’t have come.

_No, fuck that._

She needed to be there.

His amber eyes held her steely blue ones steady.

“Higurashi,” he said shortly.

Somehow, his voice gave her strength. She creeped towards him and pressed into his side. Kagome heard Inuyasha let out a little hiss as took her hands in his own.

She gazed deeply into his eyes. There, she saw everything: she saw how much he loved her; she saw how much he believed in her; she saw how much he feared for her life.

Kagome could see it all. And for some reason, that thought made her grin wildly.

She squeezed his hands; he looked at her, surprised.

“Let’s fucking do this,” she said firmly.

Kagome thought she heard Inuyasha sigh, but he nodded and squeezed her hands back. “Okay,” he said softly. “What do you have in mind?”

Kagome thought for a moment. “Who’s in there?” she asked.

“Tsuji. Jakotsu. Tsubasa. And the kidnapped mikos.” Inuyasha ticked off the list.

Kagome sucked in a breath. “Okay,” she whispered. “Okay.”

Inuyasha had an idea. “Higurashi,” he said roughly, leaning forward so their foreheads touched. “Let’s combine our power. Your reiki and my youki.”

Kagome let out a little gasp. “I don’t know if we can do that,” she whispered. “I’m afraid of my reiki going crazy again.”

Inuyasha snorted. “And why would that be a bad thing?” he asked her.

Kagome was shocked. “I—don’t know?” she said tentatively.

“Look,” Inuyasha said hurriedly, “I sent Kouga to get Totosai and the rest of the NPA who are here. All we have to do is hold Tsuji and everyone off until he and his squad can get here. Do you think you can do that?”

Kagome looked down at her clothing: hospital gown, Sango’s leather jacket, no shoes. She felt the lack of her bow and dagger sorely. But she set her mouth firmly.

“I can do it,” she said. “If I have you, I can do anything.”

Inuyasha said nothing, but reached out and grabbed her hand. They both shivered at the electric feeling coursing through their bodies. He leaned forward and kissed her lips lightly.

“Hold onto that thought, Higurashi,” he whispered. “And know that I love you.”

“Inuyasha,” she whispered back. “I love you.”

“Then as you said, let’s fucking do this,” he said, and tugged her along after him as they headed back towards the room, ready to fight.

Instead, the door opened, and Inuyasha’s senses were immediately assaulted by _the Scent_.

Inuyasha shoved Kagome behind him and cracked his claws. He grinned.

_Oh. This was gonna be good._

* * *

Jakotsu was _bored_.

Hiding was not his forte. He was much more of a take-‘em-out, fight-to-the-death kind of a guy. He did not like the idea of waiting for the enemy to come to them; instead, he would much rather go after the enemy, take them by surprise, and kill them swiftly.

It was times like this that he really hated Tsuji Oniguimo.

While it was true that Tsuji had hired Jakotsu at a low point in his life—at a time when he didn’t have anyone or anything, except for the crazy sword that Jakotsu’s father had left him—it was also true that Tsuji seemed to think that as a result, Jakotsu owed him, basically forever, and that Jakotsu always had to do whatever Tsuji said.

Fuck that. Jakotsu did things his own way. He may have been hired muscle (or a hired, stealthy sword, but _still_ ), but he had a brain. One that he enjoyed using.

Okay, so maybe he had overdone it a few times. He’d hit the Ito miko way too hard; they had been afraid she wasn’t going to wake up. And he’d definitely hit the Higurashi miko too hard; even he had caught his breath when she could not form words after he hit her. But she’d been fine, and Tsuji hadn’t chewed him out nearly as badly as he’d expected.

But he was hanging out in this room, with his boss, who was an okay fighter, and a fucking old woman, and three mikos who were tied up and unable to fight. He knew Tsuji and Tsubasa were planning to unleash the kidnapped mikos’ reiki on the wolf and the hanyou, but he really didn’t give a fuck. He just wanted to crush them: with his fists, with his sword…he really didn’t care. He just wanted to fight.

When Tsuji indicated that he could hear the wolf and the hanyou coming, Jakotsu cracked his knuckles and started bounding around the room with excitement. He couldn’t wait to crush the hanyou’s face in. He’d seen the NPA detective hovering around the miko school; after the night he’d broken in, he’d stuck around for a bit to see the detective arrive, followed by the parents and then the detective’s partner, and he smirked, knowing that the dog would definitely detect his scent. He’d done it on purpose; he’d already taken Ito from her shrine, and knew that the dog would be on the scene and would detect his scent there, too. Then the next night, he dropped Junoichi at the White Wolf, and distracted the wolf’s betas from calling in the body by raising a massive scene and getting thrown out. That one he’d been especially proud of; he knew that it would drive the dog insane that he wouldn’t be able to clearly pick up the same scent.

He was relishing leading the hanyou detective around by the nose. Quite literally. And now he was gonna _finally_ get to fight him.

Except that Tsuji was going to have them all hide behind the reiki from the damn kidnapped mikos, and use that to purify the wolf and the dog. If Jakotsu had been a youkai, he would have growled and thrown his youki around. Instead, he was forced to acquiesce to Tsuji’s wishes, and he hated every second of it.

Tsuji had Jakotsu push the mikos forward; they were all on gurneys that could lift to raised position so the mikos could see what was going on. Jakotsu scoffed; they were all clearly terrified, even if they were gagged, and their bodies were twitching with fear.

Some attack squad _they_ were gonna be.

The elderly miko, Tsubasa, stood to their right. She had a device in her hand that would activate the microchips in the mikos’ chests, causing their reiki to flood forward. It would kill the wolf, and purify the hanyou so he was human.

Then, it was Jakotsu’s turn.

He and Tsuji stood behind the mikos. Secretly, Jakotsu thought it was pretty fucking weak of Tsuji to hide behind four women—one elderly woman and three who were bound and gagged—but what the fuck ever. So long as it got the job done.

The door opened, and Tsubasa pressed the button on her device. The mikos screamed as their energy was forcibly unleashed, and a blinding white light shot forth from all three of them. Jakotsu was forced to shield his eyes; he felt Tsuji cringing next to him, grateful he was not in the line of fire.

When the light faded, Jakotsu blinked, trying to bring back his vision. He saw an outline of Tsuji, crouched against the wall next to him, his head buried in his hands. He saw Tsubasa, calmly regagging the mikos, whose binds had loosened with the outpouring of reiki. She turned to him.

“The detective figured it out,” she said. “He pulled the Lord of the East back just in time. They’re alive.”

Jakotsu growled and put his hand on the hilt of his sword. It was his turn.

Tsubasa held up her hand. “Not so fast, Jakotsu,” she said. Her head cocked, as though she were listening for something. “The wolf is leaving,” she said, “and…” her eyes glinted, and she smiled slowly at Jakotsu. “Higurashi is coming. She’s lit up like a beacon.”

Jakotsu stared at Tsubasa, confused.

“You.” It was Tsuji; he was pulling himself to a standing position and groaning slightly. “You must bring us the miko, Jakotsu. Reiki will not harm her, and she’s powerful enough to render me human with one blast. You’re the only one who can neutralize her.”

“Tch,” replied Jakotsu, “easy. I’ll take out her lapdog, too, for good measure.”

Tsuji’s aura flared; his youki was turning dark and threatening. “The dog is mine, Jakotsu,” he said in a low voice. “I want the finishing blow. He took what was _mine_ ; he delayed my ability to fulfill my plans. He dies by my hand, and my hand only.”

“Whatever,” Jakotsu answered casually. “Just so long as I get to see the miko in action.”

“If you can help it, Jakotsu,” Tsuji said firmly, “ _do not kill her._ Immobilize her. We need her reiki. Killing her will not help the cause.”

Jakotsu shrugged. “I can’t promise that I won’t,” he replied. “But I’ll do my best.”

“They’re coming!” Tsubasa hissed.

Jakotsu leapt into action.

He deftly wound his way through the gurneys to the door. He listened for several seconds, then drew his sword, flung open the door, and jumped into the hallway, only to be face-to-face with Inuyasha and Kagome.

Jakotsu smirked as he saw recognition flash across the detective’s face. He knew who Jakotsu was; he knew his scent. Jakotsu saw Inuyasha shove Kagome behind him and crack his claws in anticipation. The two grinned at each other as Jakotsu drew his sword and Inuyasha lunged forward, his claws sparking against the shining metal of Jakotsu’s father’s sword.

Kagome stifled a scream as she watched Inuyasha and Jakotsu grappling in the corridor; Inuyasha’s breathing was starting to become ragged, and she knew something was very wrong.

* * *

Inuyasha wasn’t surprised that they had sent someone out to fight him; he did figure, though, that it would be Tsuji himself. But, of course, that bastard was too much of a coward to fight his own battles, and had sent out his lackey to do the fighting for him.

Jakotsu’s scent was overwhelming, and suddenly, Inuyasha knew where he had scented this man before.

 _Here_.

His senses went into overdrive; his body raging against itself as he struggled to tamp down his youki _and_ fight.

 _Kagome, Kagome, Kagome_ , he chanted to himself, as he heard her gasp behind him. _Keep it together for her, you asshole._

And then, by some instinct other than his youki, a thin golden shield began to form around his human heart, protecting it and keeping it intact.

Keeping _him_ intact.

It just exactly what he needed.

Inuyasha ducked Jakotsu’s sword thrust and came up to block it with his arm, the flat of the blade hitting the leather of his jacket with a dull _thwap._ Inuyasha grunted and threw a left-handed cross, catching Jakotsu square on the jaw.

The man had been fucking _here_ when Inuyasha and Sango had come in to question Tsuji after his “reported robbery.” But where? Inuyasha searched through his memory as Jakotsu shook his head and slashed wildly with his sword. Inuyasha easily dodged again and hurled himself at Jakotsu, landing another left-handed cross, this time to Jakotsu’s gut. The man flew backwards and against the concrete floor.

Inuyasha cracked his neck and watched Jakotsu struggle to his feet. He rapidly searched his memory. The warehouse? The office building?

Then it hit him; there was a flash where he remembered.

“The warehouse,” Inuyasha said, landing a fierce kick to Jakotsu’s middle as the man rose. Jakotsu let out a huff of air and collapsed back down. “You work in Tsuji’s warehouse.” He kicked him again. “What do you do for him?”

“None of your goddamn business!” Jakotsu grunted, getting to his feet. He grinned. “Although I have to admit, your little miko is quite delectable. I enjoyed getting to know her better, even if I am sorry I hit her so hard.”

Kagome let out a shriek of anger, and Inuyasha roared, throwing himself at Jakotsu with all his might. The men grappled as Inuyasha’s breathing became even more ragged and thready. Kagome watched, horrified, as she felt Inuyasha’s entire aura shift; usually it was erratic at best—calm mixed with spikes of emotion—but now it was positively swirling. His youki was flying everywhere, and she could see that, although it was usually a warm, inviting red, now it had darkened to a deeper maroon. The gold from his reiki sparked in response to the deep red youki it was now intertwined with, doing battle with the darkness that was inside Inuyasha. The gold spread out, like rivers of molten lava crisscrossing the blood-red landscape; Kagome could see the red threatening to overwhelm the gold and devour it. Devour _him_.

“ _Inuyasha!_ ” she screamed, and he turned to face her, his eyes widening as she held the firearm firmly, pointing it at Jakotsu. Jakotsu took this opportunity to hit Inuyasha with the butt of his sword, hard, across the face. The force of the blow knocked Inuyasha’s head around; his whole body fell sideways. He grunted, but was struggling to get up; his youki continued to flare and consume his reiki.

Jakotsu looked down at the detective’s body as Inuyasha got to all fours and began to breathe heavily. He yanked Inuyasha up and drove his knee into the hanyou’s gut, then hit him across the face with the butt of the sword again. Inuyasha went down, hard, Kagome screaming his name as his blood flew across the width of the hallway. He didn’t move again.

Kagome raised the gun to point it at Jakotsu; she was trembling visibly, but full of resolve. Kagome had never fired a gun; she was way more comfortable with spiritual weapons. And while she could hit a mato with an arrow 30 meters away or more, she had no idea if she could hit Jakotsu with a bullet from just a meter away.

But _fuck_ if she wasn’t going to try.

“Put the gun down, Higurashi-sama,” said Jakotsu slowly, a smirk spreading across his sinister face. “You don’t want to hit your lapdog, do you?”

“Fuck off, Jakotsu,” she growled. “I won’t hit Inuyasha; don’t worry.”

Jakotsu laughed. “What makes you so sure, Higurashi-sama?” he leered. “Have you ever even _fired_ a gun before? Or are you feeling lost without your miko weapons?” He paused. “Who’s no good in a fight now, Higurashi-sama? Who’s going to die?”

“You are!” she bellowed, and pulled the trigger.

There was a deafening _bang_ that reverberated throughout the hallway, and Jakotsu howled in pain. Kagome kept her hands as steady as she could on the handle of the gun as Jakotsu held his hand to his side, the blood pooling on the left side of his torso. He paused for a moment, looking down at his side; then, he looked up at Kagome, rage fueling his vicious glare.

“Hi-Higurashi,” Inuyasha grunted, trying to push himself up and failing.

Kagome looked down at Inuyasha for the briefest of seconds; in that moment, Jakotsu flew across to her, grabbed her wrists, and slammed them against the concrete wall. Kagome screamed as she felt the bones break in her left wrist; she dropped the gun and fell to the ground, gripping her wrist, breathing heavily.

“You’re a real pain in the ass, Higurashi-sama,” hissed Jakotsu. “You have been from the very beginning. I don’t know why the boss is so obsessed with you…actually, I take that back. I 100% know why he’s obsessed with you—why Ban is obsessed with you, too.” He lifted her chin and dragged her back to standing. “They want to ruin you, like you ruined them,” he breathed, the hot air from his mouth ghosting her cheek. Her brought her so she was looking at him dead in the eyes; she could see the darkness radiating from his irises, from all around him. Kagome refused to be weak and held his gaze firmly; she spat, violently, in his face.

Jakotsu laughed and licked his lips, lapping up her saliva with his tongue. “Good girl,” he said, “defiant in the face of certain death.” He leaned forward and ran his tongue along her jawline; she growled and tried to bite him. “Higurashi-sama, you bad little miko,” Jakotsu whispered, clearly amused by her actions. “You’ve done some terrible things today. I think you need to be punished.”

Kagome grunted and tried to headbutt Jakotsu; he merely laughed and side-stepped her head, now grabbing her neck and holding it tightly with his left hand, still holding her broken wrist in his right.

Oh, don’t worry, Higurashi-sama,” he whispered. “I’m not interested in you _like that_. I’ll save that for Tsuji-shachou. But I am interested in taking apart your body, piece by piece, until you wish you’d died in that tube. Because that will be less painful than what I plan to do.”

“Fuck you!” Kagome shouted, struggling against his grip. But he was taller, and stronger, and human. There was nothing she could do except swing wildly at him with her good arm. He merely chuckled and drew his sword.

“Let’s start with that arm, then, shall we, Higurashi-sama?” he said conversationally, sliding his left hand down her arm from her neck. He gripped her forearm, then let go of her broken wrist to raise his sword high in his right hand. “We need you to be compliant for Tsuji-shachou.” Kagome sucked in her breath and closed her eyes, waiting for the intense pain. She said a quick prayer to the gods to make it fast and clean, and prepared to scream.

Only she wasn’t the one screaming.

It was Jakotsu.

She wasn’t the one missing an arm.

It was Jakotsu.

Jakotsu let Kagome go and she scrambled backwards, her good hand clutching her heart. Because there was Inuyasha, standing close by in the darkness of the hallway, holding Jakotsu’s arm casually in one hand, the sword still gripped tightly by the now-unattached appendage. Jakotsu staggered and pressed his remaining hand over his gaping wound, trying to staunch the flow of blood. Inuyasha tossed Jakotsu's arm away with a grunt, the sword clattering on the concrete, and came closer to her, into the path of a floodlight. Kagome’s breath caught.

Because once again, Inuyasha was decidedly _not_ Inuyasha.

Unlike his human night, he still had his gorgeous silver hair. But his eyes, instead of golden or violet, were turquoise; his sclera had fully turned from white to red. His claws and fangs were impossibly long, and he had a purple stripe running across each cheek. His youki was deep red and swirling about him; his reiki spun through red surges of his youki like golden thread. He growled and dropped to all fours in front of Kagome, facing Jakotsu, snarling madly.

He was _beautiful_. He was _glorious_.

And, he was _hers._

Kagome felt a rush of relief fill her entire body; her core heated up with a dark passion she didn’t know existed. She quickly tamped down any desire to feel those long fangs drag across her breasts, and to feel those sharp talons delicately trace her curves. Instead, she focused on the moment, and on what she knew.

He was _okay_.

He had transformed into a full youkai.

He was going to _protect_ her.

But…he was going to rip apart Jakotsu.

And that…she could live with.

Jakotsu quickly scoped out the situation. His sword rested behind Inuyasha; there was no way he was going to get to it now.

So, Jakotsu did the only thing he could.

He whipped out his gun. He heard Inuyasha roar as he swiftly aimed and fired, then felt his remaining arm severed from his body. In Jakotsu’s final moments, he heard Inuyasha bellowing again, and when Inuyasha took off his head with one swift swipe of his claws, Jakotsu was smiling.

When Kagome saw Jakotsu aim the gun, she only had an instant to act. She had to decide: who was he going to shoot? Would it be her? Would it be Inuyasha? What if she was wrong? What if she saved the wrong person?

And then he fired the gun, and she knew her time was up. She did the only thing she could, and prayed she was right.

Kagome felt a searing pain rip through her right shoulder, and that told her that she was, in fact, _dead _wrong.__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh....looks like Kagome once again, chose wrongly! What happened to her? And, will she and Inuyasha be able to get out of this mess? Find out next Sunday, in Chapter 32! And as always, thanks everyone, so much, for reading!! I cannot tell you how much I appreciate all the support this story has received 💖 💖


	32. The Sum of Two Parts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha works frantically to save Kagome, then the two of them have words about her role in the upcoming fight. Inuyasha and Kagome face off Tsuji Onigumo, who is not what--or who--he appears to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you are safe and doing well.
> 
> Welcome to Chapter 32 of Spirited Soulmates! We're still in the thick of the action at Naraku Industries--I hope that you enjoy!

“Higurashi? Higurashi? Oh, why the _fuck_ are you so stubborn?” Kagome felt someone shaking her gently on her left side. She blinked her eyes open, and saw Inuyasha, his golden eyes back, looking at her with intense concern.

“Inu—yasha?” She tried to sit up, but holy _fuck_ , something fucking _hurt_.

“You—you got shot.” His voice was despondent. “I went after that fucker instead of protecting you. And you got shot.” He sounded like he was crying.

“It’s—it’s okay, Inuyasha,” Kagome said, wincing. “Really.”

“No, Higurashi,” he said urgently, “you can’t move. You’re gonna bleed out if you do. I’ve barely got enough pressure on it now.”

“I—I can heal it,” she said hesitantly. “But we have to move fast. Tsuji and Tsubaki—”

“They locked the fucking door,” Inuyasha replied flatly. “They’re barricaded in there with the mikos, and I fucked up.” He shook his head. “You’re hurt, the mikos are trapped, and I went full fucking youkai and ripped that fucker’s head off.” He gestured to what was left of Jakotsu; Kagome cringed.

Kagome reached up with her left hand and winced at the pain from the broken bones in her wrist. “I know it looks bad,” she said softly, trying to stay conscious (had she really lost that much blood?), “but if you lend me your youki, like you did back at my apartment, and your reiki, I really think I can heal myself enough that we can get in there and rescue the other mikos.” He looked at her frantically, unable to speak. “Please, Inuyasha,” she said, “ _please_.” I need you. _I need you_.”

Inuyasha breathed in and out, in and out, in and out…until his breath slowed. “Okay,” he said, taking one last deep breath. “What do you need me to do?” He reached out and cupped her face with one hand, running the pad of his thumb over her grimy cheek with more love and more tenderness than he ever thought possible. They both quaked at the feel of his fingertip on her cheek.

“Inuyasha…” she whispered.

Inuyasha leaned forward and quickly kissed her. She shuddered, and wished she had one working arm to yank him to her and kiss the shit out of him.

“Higurashi,” he whispered back. She blinked; he chuckled. “Let’s get you fixed up first, okay?”

She smiled. “Okay.”

“So what do we do?” he asked, a soft, teasing smile on his face.

Kagome paused. How had they done it last time?

“I’m going to call my power to the spot in my shoulder,” she said. “I need you to put your hand over it, and send your youki and your reiki there, too. I’ll take care of the rest.” She hesitated. “I think.” She grinned up at him, her usually solid gaze unfocused and blurry.

Inuyasha’s heart began to beat out of rhythm. “Higurashi, you can’t…”

“It will be fine,” she replied. “I promise. Just do what I asked, please.” And she closed her eyes. Inuyasha growled inwardly, but did as she asked and rested his hand over her wound.

Kagome took several deep breaths, and centered all her energies onto her shoulder. Each time she breathed out, she imagined pushing everything she had in that direction. Inuyasha rested his hand on her wound, afraid to press to hard, and watched, fascinated, as the area began to glow faintly pink. Inuyasha also took deep breaths and willed his youki and what he thought was his reiki to merge with her power. Her skin shifted from a faint pink to a deep, brilliant, magenta, and Inuyasha gaped at the golden jets of light coursing throughout. Then, there was a sudden rush as Inuyasha felt _something_ pushing out of her body and into his hand. Kagome sighed loudly, and Inuyasha felt her skin closing back up under his touch, like it was knitting itself back together. The redness faded; the bleeding stopped, and the skin slowly returned to its normal color. Inuyasha removed his hand and looked down into it. He audibly gasped at what he saw.

It was the bullet.

“Hi—Higurashi,” he croaked.

Kagome opened her eyes, then rolled her shoulder around a bit. “Yeah,” she said, “good as new.” She offered him a crooked grin, and he kissed it right off her face.

“Higurashi,” he murmured against her lips, “you did…really good.”

Kagome hummed, and he felt the vibration through his entire body. She held out her left arm. “Time to fix this one,” she said.

The wrist took much less time and effort than her shoulder did. With Inuyasha’s help, she quickly set her bones back into place, then reached out to him so he could help her to stand.

“I want you to go back up to the first floor,” he said firmly. “You’ll be safe there. Kouga went to get Totosai, and they should be here any minute. I’ll be fine.”

“Fuck that,” she said immediately. “You need me.”

He gestured to her state of dress. “Have you— _seen_ yourself?”

Kagome looked down at her clothing. “So what?” she said, shrugging. “Do you think I can’t purify Tsuji just because I’m barefoot and in a hospital gown?”

Inuyasha opened and closed his fists and counted to five before he responded. “I think,” he said slowly, “that you have been through enough today, and you should let the fucking professionals handle things from here.”

Kagome now also paused and counted to five. “ _I think_ ,” she retorted, “that you have exactly one spiritualist here who can protect you, and who can help you take out Tsuji. And that’s me. I’m it.” She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him defiantly.

“I have reiki.”

“Which you _do not know how to use yet._ ”

“I’ll manage.”

“It’s all instinct for you at this point,” she countered. “It could backfire.”

He paused for a beat, opening and closing his fists.

“Higurashi.”

“ _Inuyasha_.”

“ _You cannot do this_.” Now he was breathing through his mouth again. _Great_.

“ _I’m going to help you_ ,” she hissed. “No choice.”

He ran his hands over his face and growled loudly. “Fine!” he exclaimed, still breathing through his mouth. “Fine. But we do it my way. You got it?”

Kagome hummed in agreement. “Sure,” she said, “whatever.”

Why didn’t he like that answer?

Inuyasha paced back and forth, looking at Kagome, sizing her up. What could she possibly do against a bunch of mikos and a hanyou? She gazed back at him, the picture of calm, her stormy eyes settling into a quiet sea.

“Don’t worry, Inuyasha,” she said quietly, as though reading his thoughts, “I can cover you.”

He barked out a laugh and pulled her to him, resting his head on top of hers. He closed his eyes and inhaled her sweet scent, the held her out at arm’s length. “Higurashi,” he said roughly. “ _You have to listen to me_. If I ask you to duck, or to run, or to do _something_ —you’ve gotta listen. Okay?”

She laughed and patted his arm. “Okay, anata.”

He couldn’t deny the thrill that went through his body at that one, but he pushed it way, way down for now.

He would get her later.

“All right,” he said quietly. “I think I can break the door down pretty easily. My guess is they’re gonna come at us with reiki first, and let Tsuji go to town. Since you won’t let me use my reiki, I’m gonna be purified, and if that happens, I’ll be human, and weaker.”

“Don’t worry about that,” she said. “Remember, I got your back. We’ll work on training your reiki later.”

He looked at her like she was insane. “What?”

“It’ll be fine,” she said offhandedly. “Do it your way. Break the door down. I’ll cover you.”

Inuyasha looked around the hallway. He saw Jakotsu’s gun and sword, and picked up both. He tucked the gun in the back waistband of his jeans, and after looking skeptically at the sword, he turned it over in his grip and threaded the sheath through a beltloop in his jeans.

“Can you use that?” she asked wonderingly.

“It’s been awhile since my kendo classes at the academy,” he told her, shrugging, “but I’ll see what I can do.”

“Great,” she said. “Let’s get our shit together and go get them.”

Inuyasha paused. “Did you know Tsuji planned to…?” He couldn’t finish the sentence.

Kagome grew quiet. “I…suspected,” she said simply. The look on her face said she didn’t want to discuss it further, and he let it drop.

But he was gonna take that fucker’s head clean off, just like he had Jakotsu’s.

Because he wasn’t a territorial Neanderthal, but godfuckingdammit, Kagome was _his_.

“Okay,” Inuyasha said, bringing them back to the problem at hand. “I think a well-timed kick should do it.”

“Then on three,” she replied, holding his gaze. “Remember,” she added, her eyes shining, “I love you, and you totally got this.”

He nodded in agreement. “ _We_ totally got this,” he replied.

Kagome beamed. “One,” she said. He stepped up to the door, examined it, put his foot up in a side kick motion, then put it back down.

“Two.”

He gave her a fanged grin, then bent down into position.

“I love you,” she mouthed. He winked at her, and she felt that familiar shudder course through her body.

“Three!”

Inuyasha roared and kicked open the door, rushing in.

At that moment, a burst of reiki shot through the doorframe, engulfing Inuyasha and Kagome. Inuyasha couldn’t see, but he felt Kagome’s small hand in his, tugging him away from the center of the room, though he couldn’t quite understand why. Then she put his hand on something hard, and cylindrical, and cold, and he immediately understood.

 _The gurneys_.

They could get the women out before the reiki faded. In the middle of the chaos. _They could get the women out._

Gods, his soulmate was a fucking _genius_.

Inuyasha grabbed two gurneys, and Kagome grabbed one, and they quickly wheeled them out into the hallway. The reiki was shooting out of the women’s hands, their mouths, their eyes—out of just about anywhere on their bodies that it could—but Inuyasha kept his focus on Kagome’s scent, and they were able to wheel the women out into the hall and down a safe distance. As their reiki faded, Inuyasha and Kagome raced back into the room where Tsuji and Tsubasa were holed up.

That’s when Inuyasha noticed the barrier.

He and Kagome were ensconced in a bright magenta, red, and gold barrier; it swirled around them, protecting them both. His eyes widened in realization; so _that’s_ what was keeping him safe. _That’s_ what kept him from being purified. Kagome had taken their combined power and made a goddamn barrier.

Fucking. Brilliant.

Frantically, Inuyasha cast his eyes about the room. They settled on Tsubasa, who was pressed up against a metal cabinet, a dagger in her outstretched hands.

“That bitch,” Kagome muttered. “That’s mine.”

“We’ll get it back,” Inuyasha reassured her. “Don’t worry.”

“Where’s Tsuji?” Kagome wondered, stretching out with her reiki to give a sweep of the room.

“Higurashi,” Inuyasha said quickly, “ _don’t_.”

The sudden jolt to her reiki caused her to cry out in pain; the barrier around them shook violently. She dropped to her knees; sweat beaded on her forehead. She was struggling to hold everything together.

“Higurashi,” said Inuyasha urgently, “I need to you to hold on. But you have to drop this barrier so I can go after that bastard.”

“Inuyasha,” Kagome murmured, her face an intense picture of pain.

He kneeled down and grabbed her by the elbows, pulled her to a standing position. “I’ll be okay,” he told her softly. “You don’t have to protect me. I can take care of myself. I promise you.”

“Tsubaki-sama,” Kagome whispered, color draining from her face. “She could purify you. Your reiki is too unstable.”

“And if that happens, then I’ll become human,” he chuckled. “So the fuck what? Drop the barrier. Go get your dagger back and stab the her silly.”

Kagome cried out and her face twisted in pain. Inuyasha growled and scanned the room. He just _knew_ that Tsuji was doing something to Kagome’s reiki. But he needed her to drop the barrier so he could scent out the bastard and get him to stop.

Kagome took a breath. “O—okay,” she said. “Let’s do it.”

He smiled. “That’s my girl,” he said softly, squeezing her biceps gently. He let her go and immediately spun around on high alert. “Higurashi!” he yelled. “Do it _now!_ ”

Kagome dropped the barrier; it shattered as it fell to the ground with a _crash_ , magenta and red and gold shards shimmering before they were reabsorbed into the air. Inuyasha’s nose immediately detected Tsuji; he was hiding under one of the leftover metal tables. Inuyasha bellowed Tsuji’s name as he flipped the table and leapt onto the hanyou, raising a fist and pounding it into the man’s face.

He was completely shocked when Tsuji’s body simply disintegrated under his punch, leaving behind a piece of paper; he nearly fell forward and banged his head on the tabletop.

Inuyasha paused, his mind working overtime. What in the _fuck_ was going on?

His mind suddenly reeled. The Tsuji under the table was a _puppet_ ; that must mean…

“ _Kagome_!” Inuyasha bellowed, turning around to look for his soulmate.

Tsuji Onigumo had Kagome held close, his left arm pressing her to him solidly, his right hand holding her own dagger to her throat.

“Higurashi,” Inuyasha said desperately, moving towards them.

“Nah, ah, ah,” said Tsuji, pressing the blade into Kagome’s neck. Inuyasha could scent her blood and her tears; he was willing himself not to lose his shit again. He clenched his fists, pressing his claws into his palms to keep himself grounded. “Don’t come any closer, Detective.” Tsuji leaned forward and pressed his nose to the hollow of Kagome’s throat; she let out a tiny cry of protest. “Lavender and vanilla,” he said approvingly. “You smell amazing.” His voice was a low growl in her ear. Kagome closed her eyes, the fear and pain flashing across her face. Inuyasha snarled loudly in return, pacing the length of the room, keeping his eyes on Tsuji and Kagome constantly.

“You better let her go, Tsuji,” Inuyasha grunted. “She could purify you and make you human, and then where will you be?”

“Not so fast Matsushita-san,” Tsuji replied easily. “She’s not going to do anything to me, are you, _Ka-Go-Me_?” The way he said her name—like he fucking _knew her_ —made Inuyasha just about lose his mind. His youki spiked, as did his reiki. Kagome whimpered. Tsuji laughed.

“You see, Detective,” continued Tsuji, “If Higurashi-sama purifies me, I will simply jam this dagger—her own dagger, which, I might add, is quite lovely—into her throat, and she will die. Maybe not right away, but it’s going to hurt. A lot. And that will be just enough time for Tsubasa-sama to take care of you.”

Kagome paled and Inuyasha silently raged. What the fuck was going on?

“How—did you—” Kagome was trying to put words together, but the pressure on her neck from the dagger was making it hard for her to speak.

Tsuji chuckled. “My kugutsu tricked you, Matsushita-san, didn’t it?” He pressed the dagger deeper into Kagome’s neck; she sucked in a breath and Inuyasha growled menacingly. “Tsubasa-sama is here, but close by, waiting for my signal to come and take you, Higurashi-sama.”

“Pfft,” scoffed Inuyasha, flicking his claws at Tsuji. He couldn’t detect Tsubasa’s reiki signature anywhere, so he had no idea whether or not Tsuji was telling the truth. She could be disguising it, like youkai could disguise their youki, or he could lying to protect his own ass. Inuyasha thought for a moment, trying to gauge Tsuji’s rationale behind everything.

_Keep him talking, Matsushita. You’re fucking NPA. You know how to do this._

“What do you want, Tsuji?” he asked finally, his voice gruff. _A fucking lame-ass question, Matsushita_.

But maybe it would get the job done.

Tsuji adjusted the dagger on Kagome’s neck; she winced. “It’s simple,” he said. “I want Higurashi-sama. I _need_ her. She’s the key to everything.”

Inuyasha scoffed. “To what? Your experiments? Your R&D guy was arrested; your muscle is dead. Murasaki, Kouga, and I took care of that.” He glared at Tsuji. “Face it. Your ‘research’? It’s over. The NPA is already here doing a sweep. You don’t stand a chance. Best to come quietly and face a lesser charge than to add another kidnapping and murder to the list.”

Tsuji was silent for a moment, as though considering the offer. Then, he began to laugh. A deep, horrible, laugh. The dagger scraped Kagome’s throat as Tsuji struggled to hold it steady in his mirth.

“Come quietly?” he mocked. “Get real, Detective. Higurashi-sama is going with me. We’ll set up shop somewhere else. You saw what she did in the machine; she’s still got the microchip installed. It’s not gonna be hard to start over. With her on our side, it’s no longer just about evening the playing field. She’s got enough reiki for all of us. Enough to give us the edge over the damn spiritualists.” He paused. “You should come with us, Detective.” He smirked. “I’ll even let you have a taste of your soulmate from time to time.”

 _He’s trying to get under your skin. He wants you to transform so he can try to use Higurashi’s reiki to kill you. Stay calm, Matsushita. Stay the fuck calm_.

Inuyasha was suddenly distracted from his pep talk by Kagome. He found himself drawn to her face. She was opening and closing her eyes, taking deep breaths, determination painting her countenance.

Inuyasha blanched inwardly. He knew that face.

She was going to do something _really_ fucking stupid.

Inuyasha continued to pace the length of the room, keeping a close eye on Kagome. Tsuji watched him, amused.

“What do you think, Matsushita? Do you want to join us?”

Why would this guy _not_ shut the fuck up?

Kagome opened her eyes, and gave Inuyasha a small smile and a wink. He let out a loud growl.

“Why the _fuck_ would I ‘join you’, Tsuji?” Inuyasha retorted. “You’re nothing more than scum.”

“You’re also a hanyou,” he pointed out.

“But at least I have a sense of decency, you bastard!” he roared, unable to contain himself.

Tsuji began to laugh again, and Kagome saw her opportunity, and took it.

She lifted her leg up and drove her heel backwards, right into his groin.

Tsuji howled and let Kagome go, the dagger dragging across her neck. Kagome had the sense to grab it, then stumbled forward, away from Tsuji, and hit her knees, rolling quickly to the side. She grasped her neck, which was swiftly turning red with her blood.

Inuyasha seized the opportunity to ram his fist right into Tsuji Onigumo’s face.

Tsuji howled again, grabbing his face, then his groin, then his face again. He let out some kind of wild, feral sound and threw himself onto Inuyasha, his body rapidly growing and changing. Kagome watched, equal parts terrified and fascinated, applying pressure to her wound, as Tsuji’s body elongated and four long, spindly legs burst from his back.

 _A spider youkai. He’s part spider youkai. That means_ …

“Inuyasha, watch out for his poison!” Kagome yelled hoarsely. “He’s part spider youkai!”

“The fuck—?” Inuyasha said faintly, then looked up and saw Tsuji’s face. It had turned from a handsome, smooth, pale expression, to a twisted, dark one. The eyes were no longer human; they were still deep red, but now protruding and glowing. Tsuji opened his mouth, and two massive fangs dropped down. Inuyasha poured all of his strength into his hands and shoved, pushing Tsuji away and bounding backwards, landing on his haunches, watching the spider hanyou worriedly.

This was bad. This was really bad.

Tsuji let out a screech and sent his four extra arms towards Inuyasha, who dodged as the appendages twisted and turned and whipped around him. Inuyasha was fast, but the limbs were catching up to him, even as he tried to get out of the way. He couldn’t get off an attack; it was all he could do to parry. Inuyasha threw up his arms, blocking Tsuji from getting close to his face; he kicked out his legs, pushing Tsuji’s torso back. Tsuji immediately sprang forward again; Inuyasha let out a yelp when Tsuji’s fangs sank into his arm and injected the poison into his skin. Tsuji dropped him and Inuyasha fell to his knees, panting heavily.

Kagome watched frantically as Inuyasha collapsed. Tsuji was strong, stronger than she had thought he would be. Even now, he circled Inuyasha, his legs carrying his body around slowly. Inuyasha’s head was bowed; Kagome could see the green from Tsuji’s poison seeping up Inuyasha’s arm.

 _I have to do something_ , she thought. _I have to save him. I have to save us_.

“So,” Tsuji was drawling, “the great Lord Inuyasha is finally on his knees. Oh, I know who you are, Detective; I know _what_ you are, and how you were rejected by your own brother. I know how you wandered the country for _years_ , alone and forgotten. I know how you fought—how you _killed_ —to survive; I know how you took women into your bed to seek the creature comforts denied you by your own family. I know everything about you, Detective.” He smirked. “Does your soulmate know everything?”

Inuyasha was growling; Kagome quietly reached out to him.

 _It’s okay_ , she was saying. _It’s okay. I love you, and it’s okay_.

His voice came back to her, faint. _Higurashi_.

She had an idea. _Can you fight, Inuyasha?_

Even though his head was bowed, she could tell he was smiling.

 _Fuck yeah_ , he replied. _Let’s hit him with everything we’ve got_.

 _When you’re ready_ , she told him, _I’ll be ready_.

Inuyasha’s growling ceased; he stayed down, his head still lowered, but when he spoke, his voice was quiet and full of strength.

“Higurashi doesn’t know everything,” he said. “And not because it’s a secret; anything she wants to know, I’ll tell her. But the only thing that matters to me is the here, and now, and that is Kagome.” He raised his beautiful, bloody face to Tsuji’s. “She is the _best_ thing to ever happen to me, and I’ll see you in hell before I let you take her.”

“Then I guess I _will_ see you in hell,” Tsuji replied, clearly amused, his appendages waving about, “because you have about five minutes before my poison immobilizes you and kills you.”

“That’s about four minutes and thirty seconds longer than I need,” Inuyasha grunted. Kagome saw him reach into his wound and coat his claws in blood. She swiftly began channeling her energy into the dagger, her reiki lighting up magenta around her and the dagger. She raised the dagger high.

Once Inuyasha’s claws were covered in blood, he drew himself up to his full height; his silver hair flying about his as his youki soared out in his fury. “Take this, Tsuji, you bastard! _Hijin Kessou!_ ” he roared, and hurled his blood at Tsuji. As his blood formed crescent-shaped blades and flew at Tsuji, Kagome let out her own roar and heaved the dagger towards the spider hanyou.

The dagger hit Tsuji square in the forehead, right as Inuyasha’s Hijin Kessou sliced through Tsuji’s body. The resultant attack flared up, magenta and bright red, and swirled around Tsuji, who let out a wicked scream and fell backwards, Kagome’s dagger sticking out of his forehead, still glowing hot magenta. His body was littered with deep wounds from Inuyasha’s blood attack. As he fell, he locked eyes with Kagome, who watched, horrified, as the light faded from his eyes, and along with it, his life and any hope he might have held for victory. Any hope he might have held onto that Kagome would be his shattered when his body splintered onto the concrete floor.

Kagome fell to her knees, her hands hitting the hard ground with a smack. The tears threated to flow, fast and furious, but first she had to check Tsuji’s body. She made her way over to his body, ready to unleash her reiki if he flinched even a little.

But there was nothing. No breath. Fading aura. No heartbeat.

He was dead. She was sure of it.

Kagome let out a sigh of relief, then crawled over to her soulmate, who had completely collapsed. She rolled him over so he was face up. His beautiful, beautiful golden eyes were closed; his skin was tinged green. His breathing was erratic and shallow; his ears hung droopily. The wound in his arm was gaping and filled with pus and poison. She bowed her head over his body.

“Oh, gods, Inuyasha,” she whispered worriedly, “oh, _gods_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kugutsu: demon puppet. The Naraku of the manga/anime was notorious for using them, and it felt right that this Onigumo, who is equally slimy, would do the same, in an attempt to trick Inuyasha.
> 
> Oh, crap. Now _Inuyasha's_ the one clinging to life? Honestly, who else needs a vacation (besides Sango)? These two are exhausting.
> 
> Will Inuyasha recover? Will the cavalry finally arrive? Stay tuned to learn more about the aftermath of the fight with Tsuji Onigumo, in next week's update. Thanks everyone, so much, for reading, and I look forward to seeing you next Sunday! 💖


	33. Rest; Recover; Reconnect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kouga, Sango, and Totosai find and Inuyasha and Kagome, and are shocked at what they find. Inuyasha and Kagome cope with the aftermath of their battles with Jakotsu and Tsuji.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! Wherever you are, I hope that you're safe and well.
> 
> Welcome to the next chapter of Spirited Soulmates! The cavalry has finally arrived, but what will they find?

“Higurashi?” came a gruff voice from behind Kagome.

She lifted her head. “Captain,” she said, no longer able to keep the tears out of her voice.

Totosai rushed into the room, weapon raised, Sango and Kouga close behind him. He took in the scene—Tsuji dead, in full spider youkai form, and Inuyasha flat on the ground—and turned to Sango and Kouga, concerned.

“What—happened, Kagome-chan?” asked Sango.

Kagome turned to her friend. “Oh, Sango-chan,” Kagome wept, “Inuyasha’s been poisoned!”

Sango saw Kagome’s neck, and her face paled.

“Kagome,” said Kouga in a rough voice, “ _what the fuck happened here_?”

Kagome was crying so hard she couldn’t answer. Sango went to her friend’s side and pulled out a medical kit she must have procured from the medics that came with the NPA. She whipped out some gauze and pressed it gently to Kagome’s neck, trying to staunch the bleeding. Kagome hissed a little at the contact, but turned her teary eyes to her friend. Sango’s heart nearly broke at the sight of her friend, so devastated and shattered.

Totosai knelt beside Inuyasha and held up his arm. The skin was ripped apart; Inuyasha’s muscle was exposed and bubbling up, a frightening purple color that reeked of poison and pus. “The source of the poison is here, correct, Higurashi-san?” Kagome turned from Sango to Totosai and nodded slightly, her face paling even more. Totosai nodded back. “Can you heal him, Higurashi-san?”

Kagome’s eyes got wide. “I—I don’t know,” she said lamely. “Before, I could heal myself, but I had…I had his help. I don’t know if I can do it without him.” At that thought she began to wail. She knew she was being slightly ridiculous, but she couldn’t help it. One moment Inuyasha had been so tall, so strong, so… _magnificent_ …and the next?

He was passed out on the hard concrete, barely breathing, poison spreading through his body.

She felt a strong hand on her shoulder. She looked up; it was Kouga. His eyes were bright blue, and fierce, and relentlessly sad.

“Kagome.” His voice was hard. “You can do this. The mu—Inuyasha—he needs you.” His face was twisted briefly in a mixture of emotions, but eventually settled to reveal a look that was calm, open, and caring. He took a deep breath. “We can’t get him to a hospital and have the poison taken out. I’ve seen this kind of attack. It kills in minutes. As it is, we don’t have much time. You have to do _something_. He doesn’t have to be perfect; _he has to live_.” His face became hard again; he squeezed her shoulder and held her gaze. “Do you understand, Kagome? _He has to live_.”

And suddenly Kagome’s breathing became erratic and labored; her reiki began spiking like a sea urchin. The full weight of what Kouga was saying hit her fully, and she knew what she had to do. But she had to bring her reiki back under control before she could do it. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her nerves—trying to calm her reiki. Relief washed over her as she felt her reiki even out.

“Okay,” she breathed. She reached up and covered Kouga’s hand with her own, squeezing it back. “I’ll do my best.”

“That’s all we’re asking, Higurashi,” said Totosai, now checking Inuyasha’s pulse. His face paled. “Just enough to buy some time to get him to the hospital.”

Kagome nodded again and closed her eyes. Kouga went to remove his hand, but Kagome stopped him. “If you don’t mind,” she said softly, “I could use the support.”

He chuckled faintly. “Okay,” he said.

Kouga’s hand on her shoulder steadied her. Sango reached across and laid her hand on Kagome’s other shoulder; Kagome felt the strength from her best friends, and used that grounding to channel her efforts. She’d never purified poison before; she was praying she didn’t fuck this up.

She needed him to _live_.

Because she didn’t know how to live without him.

Since it wasn’t her own body, Kagome needed a way to channel her energy into Inuyasha’s arm. She clenched her hands into tight fists, and closed her eyes. Her reiki began to bubble beneath the surface, and she felt her hands growing heated with the force of her power. She concentrated all her efforts into building her reiki in her hands. She heard Sango gasp, and opened her eyes.

Kagome’s hands were radiating, a vibrant magenta, hot and shimmery and almost iridescent. She let out a massive breath and she laid her hands over Inuyasha’s forearm. The poison sparked angrily against her reiki.

Quietly, she began to chant, and Sango recognized the chant from Miroku's studies of Izumoto Hideo:

“Hi Fumi

Yo I Mu Na Ya

Kotomo Chi Lo Lane

Shi Ki Lu

Yu I Tsu Wanu

So O Ta Ha Kumeka

U O E

Nisali Hete

Nomasu A Se E Holeke.”

She repeated the chant, over and over; she felt her hands growing impossibly hot as she held them tightly to Inuyasha’s forearm. She channeled all her energy into that spot; she felt her eyes growing heavy, but she was determined to hold on for as long as she could.

The others were stunned to see the poison in Inuyasha’s arm beginning to recede. The pus from the poison was slowly fading as Kagome’s magenta reiki flooded the wound with light, warmth, and healing. Kagome kept up her chanting, her voice becoming quieter and quieter, until the the poison had completely faded and Inuyasha’s arm looked raw, but no longer poisoned or infected. Kagome closed her eyes, then opened them, then looked up at Totosai.

“How-how did I do, Captain?” she asked in a faint voice.

Totosai gently waved her hands aside, afraid to touch her, given that he was a full youkai. She moved her hands, and Totosai peered down at Inuyasha’s wound. He gasped.

“Higurashi-san,” he said in a choked voice. “You—you did well.”

Kagome blinked. “Really?” She looked down at Inuyasha’s arm, and saw that it was completely free of poison. She smiled, and reached her hand up to join Sango’s on her shoulder. Kouga patted her other shoulder awkwardly.

“What—what do we do next?” Kagome asked.

“Where’s Tsubasa Tsubaki, Kagome-chan?” Sango asked.

Kagome shook her head. “She was never here. It was Tsuji disguised as Tsubaki-sama; the other Tsuji we fought was a puppet. Inuyasha and I managed to get the other mikos out, and then we killed the real Tsuji.” She turned her head towards Tsuji’s body. “Right?” she asked. “We did…kill him, right?”

Totosai got up and went over to Tsuji’s body. He knelt down and checked for a pulse and for Tsuji’s breathing. “There’s nothing, Higurashi-san,” he said. “You and Matsushita did…very, very well.”

Kagome let out a huge breath. “And, what about Inuyasha, Captain? Will he be okay?”

Totosai looked back at Kagome from his spot beside Tsuji’s body. “I don’t know, Higurashi-san,” he answered her honestly. “We need to get him to a hospital, so that we can check to make sure all the poison has been fully purged from his system.”

“You did really well, Kagome-chan,” said Sango, squeezing her friend’s shoulder again. “Although,” and she looked up at Totosai, “I’m worried that we didn’t get Tsubasa-sama this time.”

“We’ll get her, Murasaki,” Totosai reassured her. “There’s no way in all the hells that this is over just yet.”

“Um, Sango-chan? Kouga?” said Kagome suddenly. Her friends turned their attention to her immediately; they could see that she had gone suddenly pale. Kouga could hear that her heart was beating erratically. “I—I don’t feel so well.” And she closed her eyes, sinking against Kouga in her exhaustion. He wrapped his arms around Kagome and looked at Sango expectantly.

Sango sighed. “Well, Captain,” she said blandly, “do you think we can get them hospital beds in the same room? Because I think that when Matsushita wakes up and Kagome-chan’s not there, it’s gonna be a real shit show.”

* * *

The first thing that Inuyasha detected was the scent of the room. Cold, antiseptic, sterile—all scents that he, as an inu hanyou, absolutely detested. He was about to begin to bellow his displeasure when he opened his eyes and realized that he was in a hospital room, and that he had an IV and a series of electrodes hooked up to his body. Instead of bawling and flinging his youki about the room, he chose instead to growl quietly.

“You are awake, little brother?” came an _awfully_ familiar voice.

Inuyasha turned his head to see Sesshomaru and Kagura sitting in chairs at his bedside. Sesshomaru’s face was, as general, impassive; Kagura’s was a face of shifting emotions that lit up immediately when she saw his golden eyes opening.

“Inuyasha!” said Kagura gratefully, leaning forward to brush some of his hair out of his face. “We were _so_ worried! I thought this might be the end of you—youkai poison can be so powerful, even for your royal blood.”

Inuyasha growled. “Kagura-onee-sama,” he greeted her firmly. “This one is pleased that you have expressed concern about us.”

Kagura’s eyes got quite wide, but she simply bobbed her head in return, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Inuyasha tried to sit up, but Kagura pushed him back down on the bed.

“You’ve been out for hours,” she said, “and you need your rest. I’m going to find your doctor. _REST_ ,” she added when he opened his mouth to protest. She turned to Sesshomaru. “Make sure that he does. Please?”

“Hn,” was the ambivalent reply.

Kagura shrugged and left the room. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha stared at each other, stuck together alone in a non-professional setting for the first time in over a hundred years.

“So, little brother,” said Sesshomaru carefully, “What can you tell this one about what happened? How are you feeling?”

Inuyasha’s eyes went wide. “Who are you, and _what_ have you done with my bastard of a half-brother?”

Sesshomaru came as close to a snort as Inuyasha had ever seen. “Please, Inuyasha,” he replied, “just answer the question and humor this one.”

“Why are you here?” Inuyasha asked instead. “And where’s Higurashi?”

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. “This Sesshomaru is beginning to wonder the same thing,” he commented. “But to answer your first question, Totosai called this one and asked us to come. Kagura insisted, just so you know. And this Sesshomaru arranged to have you brought to a top youkai hospital that specializes in poisons. You have had the best doctors looking after you.”

Inuyasha let out another low growl, then tried to flex his arms. He growled more loudly when he felt a shooting pain in his arm.

“That is where the poison entered your body,” Sesshomaru continued. “The miko did well to remove most of the poison at the point of entry, but Tsuji’s poison had already spread through most of your system. You will have some residual effects at the point of entry, and you will feel a general malaise and nausea as the drugs work to flush your system.”

“Higurashi removed the poison?” he asked.

Sesshomaru nodded. “She has had a busy day, from what this one was made to understand.” And he gestured to Inuyasha’s right. “Perhaps it is best to let her sleep for now,” he added.

Inuyasha turned his head right, and there he saw Kagome, sleeping in a hospital bed next to him. Her blue-black hair hung loosely about her face; her body was impossibly still under the hospital blankets. Her skin was pale and tinged blue; her breathing was shallow and erratic.

Inuyasha immediately let loose a wild roar; his youki was _flaring_ , wildly. His fangs were elongating; his claws were sharpening. He needed to be near her; he needed to be _with_ her. And he would tear anyone or anything apart that was in his way. Because goddammit, he could sense that she was fading, and he needed to _help her_.

He reached up and grabbed the IV, ripping it from his arm; he didn’t even notice the pain as the saline and the poison flushers flew everywhere like water from a loose hose. Inuyasha then tore the monitoring electrodes hooked up to the EKG machine from his chest so hard the machine flew off its stand and crashed to the floor. His breathing was becoming labored; _he needed to get to Kagome_.

Before he could jump to his feet, though, his brother was at his bedside and had a hand pressed firmly to Inuyasha’s chest. Sesshomaru let out a low, authoritative growl; Inuyasha chafed under his brother’s hand and responded with a loud whine.

“Let me the fuck out of this bed, Sess,” Inuyasha said. “I need to get to her. _Now_.”

“You cannot,” Sesshomaru replied. “You are _both_ ill. The miko in particular needs her rest. Please allow her to have it.”

“Fuck that, Sess!” howled Inuyasha, his eyes tinging red and his youki billowing out. He could feel the sparks of his reiki, lightning bolts shooting out of the red storm of his youki. The reiki surged towards his brother; Sesshomaru leapt back and raised his hand defensively, ready to unleash his energy whip.

Why had Inuyasha’s youki…

Sesshomaru’s eyes widened the tiniest bit.

_That…that wasn’t youki._

_That was…reiki._

_Inuyasha had youki…and reiki_.

Sesshomaru took another step back so he was leaning against the wall, watching as his brother continued his tirade: ripping yet more electrodes from his chest, tearing the pulse ox from his finger and hurling that across the room, and shoving his entire hospital bed aside with a massive crash so he could get to Kagome. Once he was free of his own hospital restraints, Inuyasha knelt by his soulmate’s bed and pressed his hand over hers, growing silent; he was on high alert. His ears swiveled around constantly; Sesshomaru could see Inuyasha’s nose twitching. Inuyasha was watching her, scenting her, trying to figure out what was wrong, what he could do to help. Sesshomaru could detect his brother’s fear and concern wafting through his youki, but those gold spikes shooting through the red…

He…was going to need a minute; the shock was too apparent on his face, and _no one_ could see him like this.

Sesshomaru slipped out of the room, rolling his eyes as he left Inuyasha trying to figure out how to get into Kagome’s bed without disturbing her. He crossed the hallway and turned to face the hospital room door, leaning against the wall, resting his head back.

What had he just seen?

Sesshomaru briefly closed his eyes and reached back in his memory. He had only seen that particular reiki signature once before. And it sickened him, the great Lord of the West, to recall the owner of that reiki. Because while she had been alive, Sesshomaru had not been kind to her, or to her son, his half-brother.

And now, Inuyasha had the same reiki as his mother.

How had this happened?

The only explanation was the miko. She had awakened something in him, something that brought the reiki to the surface…

Sesshomaru growled and shook his head.

 _No._ What he had just seen was impossible. A youkai— _no_ , a hanyou—could not possibly have a reiki signature.

And yet, how could he account for what he had just seen, with his own eyes? How could he deny the existence of something he hadn’t detected in over a hundred years, but something he knew instantly?

And most importantly, how could it exist in his brother?

“Sesshomaru?” It was Kagura. “I brought the doctor.”

She came around to face him, and her eyes widened in horror. “Anata?” she said tentatively. “Are you…okay?”

Sesshomaru raised his head and looked at his mate.

“Kagura,” he said, his voice desperately low and dark, “this one has detected a reiki signature he has not seen for over a hundred years.”

“What are you talking about, anata?” Kagura replied, alarmed.

“Inuyasha,” Sesshomaru answered her. “Inuyasha has youki…and reiki.”

Kagura’s eyes grew wide. “That’s impossible.”

“Yes,” Sesshomaru agreed simply, “impossible. However…it has happened, and it changes… _everything_.”

Kagura reached out and grasped his hand, and Sesshomaru held on tightly, her warm touch the one thing in the world that could ground him in this moment.

* * *

Inuyasha had managed to finagle himself so he was sitting behind Kagome in the hospital bed; she lay, sleeping, between his legs, and his arms wrapped around her protectively. His head rested back against the bed pillows; his eyes were closed. He wanted to sort through the events of the day—he really fucking did—but Kagome’s breathing was still shallow, and that was making him nervous, so much so that he had ripped out all the needles and electrodes from his own body so he could be close to her—so he could comfort her, even though he was still feeling like shit himself. But how he felt didn’t matter.

Only Kagome mattered.

He let out some little rumbles from his chest to soothe her, and once he was fully comfortable, he starting sending out his youki in small, gentle waves, surrounding her body carefully, so that eventually she was covered completely in his aura. His reiki was rushing out to help, and it was coming out in fits and spurts—he could see the gold intertwining with the red as his aura blanketed her, comforted her, but most of all—healed her. He could feel that her shoulder where she was shot still wasn’t quite right, and that her wrist was still tender. She felt like she had some internal injuries—nothing serious, some bruising of her ribs and maybe a pulled muscle in her shoulder. He generated some more of his youki, and he hoped his reiki, to infuse more deeply into those places. In reality, all he wanted to do was make her better. And this—this was the only way he knew how.

He sighed, and he felt a stronger rush of his reiki envelop them both. It made him feel both relieved and sick to his stomach; he wasn’t used to the feeling of his reiki sweeping through his being just yet. Right now, it made him feel like he was going to throw up, all the time. Kagome was right; they were going to need some time to sort through what this would mean for him— _no—_ what this would mean for _them_.

A gentle knock on the door drew Inuyasha’s attention, and he growled softly in response. The door squeaked open, and in came a small, dark-haired woman with tortoise-shell glasses, and a taller, significantly older man. Inuyasha let out another growl, a little lower this time—a growl of warning to outsiders that they needed to back the fuck up away from his soulmate.

The man and the woman did indeed keep their distance; the man held his hands up deferentially as he began to speak. “Matsushita-san,” he said, his smile soft and friendly, “I am Sato, and I’m assigned to be your doctor. This is Nageuchi, and she is the miko healer your brother brought over from the spiritual hospital.” The woman bowed her head politely. “We’re here to look after the two of you,” Sato added, “if you will allow it, of course.” Inuyasha grumbled and pulled Kagome to him, nestling his head in her hair. He turned his golden eyes on the doctors, narrowing them in suspicion.

“It won’t take more than a minute, Matsushita-san,” Sato said, “I promise.”

“Keh,” Inuyasha replied. “Making it fucking fast. She’s not well.”

Sato and Nageuchi exchanged a look. “If it’s all right, Matsushita-san,” Sato said, “I’ll examine you first.” Inuyasha grunted and cocked his head towards the doctor, his ears twitching. Sato smiled kindly and approached him slowly. “Now, Matsushita-san, if you will permit me, I’d like to look into your eyes.” Inuyasha gave a brusque nod; the doctors could do whatever the _fuck_ they wanted to him, so long as Kagome was safely nestled in his lap. Sato flashed a light into Inuyasha’s golden eyes. Inuyasha blinked, but allowed the light to shine in. “Good,” Sato murmured, “now let’s see if you can follow the movement of the light.”

Inuyasha went through the rest of the examination without protest. Sato seemed pleased, and a nurse arrived at the end of his exam to work with Sato to reattach Inuyasha’s IV drip, his heart rate monitor, and his pulse ox. Inuyasha grumbled internally, but he knew that if he had any chance of being able to remain with Kagome, he needed to comply with the doctor’s requests.

“I’m going to have the nurse draw some blood now, Matsushita-san,” Sato said, “and then we’ll send it to the lab to check it for the poison. I expect we will need to keep you at least tonight, if not tomorrow night, too. We need to make sure your body is completely cleared before we can discharge you.”

“Please, sensei,” said Inuyasha suddenly. The doctor looked at him expectantly. Inuyasha sighed. “How—how bad shape was I when I got here?”

Sato-sensei frowned. “You weren’t great,” he admitted, “but it could have been a lot worse. Higurashi-sama did an outstanding job purifying the poison that she could. If she hadn’t been there, I don’t think you would have made it.” He turned to Nageuchi. “With your permission, Nageuchi will now do a quick exam of Higurashi-sama, and then we will let you both rest.”

Inuyasha gave the doctor a curt nod. “Thanks,” he said.

The doctor gave him a wan smile. “It’s what I do, Matsushita-san,” he said. He turned to Nageuchi and nodded; the small woman stepped forward.

“Matsushita-san,” she said, “I’m Nageuchi Naoko. I’m Higurashi-sama’s healer.” She smiled slightly. “It’s good to see you awake. I understand Higurashi-sama saved your life.”

“Tch,” Inuyasha replied, bobbing his head and keeping his arms firmly around Kagome, “she did a lot more than that, sensei.”

“I can tell,” said Nageuchi, going around to Kagome’s bedside. “How do you think she is?”

“Her—her breathing seems off,” Inuyasha said. “Shallow.”

“She’s recovering, Matsushita-san,” Nageuchi said gently. “She’s sedated, but may not be sleeping as deeply as she should be. Let me give her a quick checkup.”

Inuyasha watched closely as Nageuchi listened to Kagome’s heart and lungs, checked her pulse ox, and her pupils’ reactivity. She then checked Kagome’s reiki, holding her hands out over Kagome’s chest, her own reiki glowing a soft green. All the while, Kagome lay still, knocked out by her exhaustion and the sedative.

Nageuchi finished her exam and looked at Inuyasha, frowning. “You are Higurashi-sama’s soulmate, correct?”

Inuyasha flushed slightly. “Yeah.”

Nageuchi pushed her glasses up her nose. “I think that Higurashi-sama could use your support,” she said carefully. “Your aura signatures are intertwined; you have consummated your relationship?” He nodded, not quite meeting the healer’s eyes. “She needs your youki to help her heal, Matsushita-san,” Nageuchi continued, then paused, her voice rising slightly. “And…your reiki?” When he nodded, she blinked in surprise, but gave him a little smile. “You need each other right now, then,” she added, clearly trying to process this new information. “Don’t feel ashamed of the fact that you require physical contact with your soulmate. I assure you, she needs it too.”

Inuyasha looked at her gratefully. “Thank you, Nageuchi-sensei,” he replied.

Nageuchi nodded again and turned to Sato. “We’ll be back,” she said, bowing. “Please call for the nurse if Higurashi-sama wakes up; I would like to see her as soon as possible.”

“If you need anything, Matsushita-san,” added Sato, “I’m also just a call button away. Don’t hesitate to use it.”

“Thanks, both of you,” Inuyasha said, his voice catching, his fear suddenly apparent. He didn’t know why, but he was just now really fucking worried that something was going to happen to her.

Nageuchi caught the shift in his aura. “She’ll be all right, Matsushita-san,” Nageuchi reassured him as she and Sato left. “She just needs rest.” She paused. “And so do you,” she added, and left the room.

Finally—fucking _finally_ —he and Kagome were alone. Inuyasha leaned forward, breathing in her scent, which was its typical vanilla and lavender, but lackluster, faded, as though she had gone through the washing machine one too many times and was a remnant of her former self. He rested his cheek in her hair and shivered.

 _Kagome._ He’d come so fucking close to losing her. She could have died at least six times easily, and yet in the end, she was the one who encouraged him to use all his power to defeat Tsuji. He knew: she was the only one he wanted to protect, but she had protected him. He had wanted to take out Tsuji himself, and yet in the end, it had taken their combined power to do so. Maybe…maybe there was more to this whole soulmating thing than him just rushing to save her. Maybe…

Maybe he did need her, just as much as she needed him.

Inuyasha pushed that thought out of his head swiftly. Now was not the time to be thinking about reiki and soulmating and whatever the fuck else was going on with them. Now was the time to think about protecting and comforting Kagome, who was lying in a hospital bed, her breathing raspy and shallow, while Inuyasha vacillated between wanting to protect her with his life, and storming out of there to find fucking Tsubasa and ripping her flesh from her bones.

He leaned over and inhaled Kagome’s scent again, willing himself to stay sane, and was dismayed to detect that it was still frayed and faded. _When she wakes up_ , he thought fiercely, tightening his hold on her, _I’m never letting her within a thousand kilometers of danger, ever again._

Kagome’s scent shifted slightly and he bent forward a little to nuzzle her hair.

 _Higurashi_. He thought he would try to reach out to her telepathically, since they had done that so well at Naraku Industries, and fuck, she needed to rest.

He felt her quiver, and then Kagome let out a little sound that was a cross between a whine and an affirmative. He couldn’t see her face, but he could feel that she was trying to open her eyes.

 _Not now_ , he comforted her. _Not now. You need to rest._

She turned her head left and right. _Inuyasha_?

He smiled and hugged her to him. _You’re gonna be okay, Higurashi. Rest. Let your body do what it needs to do to get better._

Kagome let out a weak little sigh. _My body only wants to do one very specific thing right now._

Inuyasha let out a whoosh of air that he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. She was making jokes. He kissed the top of her head with glee.

 _She was gonna be all fucking right_.

In the doorway, Sesshomaru hovered, watching the exchange between his brother and the miko, Kagura still holding his hand tightly.

He frowned and wrapped his arms around his mate. From the shift in their auras, Sesshomaru could tell Inuyasha and Kagome were communicating telepathically. Truth be told, it unnerved him, and _very little_ unnerved the Lord of the West. 

Sesshomaru scowled. What fresh hell had his brother gotten them all into with his newfound powers?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kagome’s prayer roughly translates to: “We are gods and creators. We create everything in the Universe for us and it belongs only to us and forever. We practice Freedom, Truth, Love, Beauty, Happiness, Advancement and actually becoming God Beings. We live together forever, for our happiness and advancement. Thank you, God, for everyone, everything, and for me.” It is the [47 Words of God Chant](https://lightraycenter.org/2019/03/24/the-healing-chant-of-hideo-izumoto/) by Izumoto Hideo, a well-known spiritual and energy healer. I really wanted to have Kagome recite a prayer, and I liked Izumoto’s chant and thought it would work well here.
> 
> So the big questions here are: how will Inuyasha and Kagome move past this ordeal, and how will they navigate Inuyasha's newfound reiki? Find out this, and more, at our next update. See you next Sunday!


	34. Acceptance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha and Kagome continue to recover. Inuyasha is super-protective of Kagome, who starts the apology parade. Sango and Kouga reveal something shocking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you're safe and doing well.
> 
> Welcome to Chapter 34 of Spirited Soulmates! In this chapter, Inuyasha and Kagome are still recovering (and still sexually frustrated), while Miroku is asked to do something he does NOT want to do, Sango and Kouga have an interesting story, and Kagura reveals something to Inuyasha she maybe shouldn't have? 
> 
> And just a quick thank you, once again, for all your feedback on this story. I always love reading your thoughts on what's happening, and what's coming! I am hopefully going to be finishing a full draft in the next few weeks, and that's definitely thanks to all of you being so supportive and thoughtful. So, THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart. I hope you enjoy this chapter!!

Inuyasha and Kagome lay together for a good while after he was able to reach her telepathically; she continued to insist she was okay, while he continued to insist she most certainly was fucking _not_ okay, and he would not let her vocalize any of her frustrations. Any time she tried to say _anything_ verbally, he would slide a hand over her mouth and tweak her nose affectionately; she wanted to growl at him, but it was so cute, she couldn’t help but do what he asked.

Because she knew: he was relieved she was coming around, sure, but he was also really fucking terrified that she was not okay, and that she would overexert herself with any additional effort.

And she had to admit that it felt really, really good to have him just care for her and love her in this moment. Even though she was in a hospital bed, she had never felt so safe, so protected, or so warm. His arms nestled around her, drawing her into his whole body; his head was now resting on her shoulder, his eyes closed, his breathing a little more regular. 

Kagome smiled to herself. For all his insistence that she rest, that’s exactly what he was doing. His even breathing suggested that he was asleep, and Kagome was relieved. She remembered how Inuyasha looked at Naraku Industries; quite frankly, she was shocked to wake up in his arms and have him be as coherent and as sour (and as much like himself) as he was. She allowed herself to gloat inwardly, because she must have done a fucking awesome job for him to be as recovered so much and so quickly.

A soft nuzzle against her ear brought her back to reality. “Inu—yasha?” she said hesitantly, and a low growl that vibrated from her throat all the way down into the core of her body told her all she needed to know. She turned her head slightly, and sought his lips. He responded eagerly, and they both let out a little groan as they met, the electricity shooting between them palpable. Kagome felt her reiki rising, and she let it fly; she couldn’t help it. But she was astonished when Inuyasha unleashed his aura in response, and then she felt the jolts from his reiki replying, wrapping up her own reiki and tugging it close. Kagome’s moans grew louder as she twisted around to deepen the kisses with her soulmate; she growled in frustration when she found that she could only turn so far. Inuyasha chuckled and broke the kiss.

“Hard when you’re strapped up to a million machines, eh, Higurashi?” he said affectionately, ruffling her hair with his non-IV hand. 

She grumbled and tried to nuzzle his cheek. He chuckled again and kissed her lightly, the warmth of his youki enveloping them both, making them sigh.

“How are you feeling, Higurashi?” Inuyasha whispered against her lips.

“I’m—I’m okay,” she murmured back, pressing her lips to his again. “Now that—I have you here with me.”

“Higurashi,” he breathed, and rested his hand on her cheek, kissing her forehead, her eyes, her nose, her cheeks—whatever he could reach.

He needed to feel _all_ of her. And soon.

“I need you too, Inuyasha,” she said huskily, and nudged the palm of his hand with her nose.

“Kagome,” he panted, “I can’t _wait_ to get you back home.”

“What do you have planned?” she asked silkily.

“Oh,” he replied, his lips centimeters from hers, “I can think of a few things you’ll enjoy.” He began to kiss her fully, his words accentuating each kiss. “I. Have. To. Take. Care. Of. You.”

He could scent her tears, but he didn’t care. He knew they were tears of happiness.

“Jeez, you two,” said a familiar voice from the doorway, “I’d say you should get a room, but you already have one.”

“Murasaki,” Inuyasha growled, his lips refusing to leave Kagome’s. “Get the fuck out of here. _Now_.”

“We would love to do that, Matsushita,” she replied, “but unfortunately I’m here on official business.”

Inuyasha pulled away from his soulmate and turned vicious eyes on his partner. He blinked several times; she was clearly not alone. 

Standing behind her, rather awkwardly, were Kouga and Miroku. 

Inuyasha let out another low growl; Kagome, though, smiled wearily.

“You guys,” she said gratefully, “I’m so glad to see you. Sango-chan, you’re okay.”

“Keh,” Sango said in an excellent imitation of her partner, “I’m not dead yet.” She dragged a chair over to the bed, and sat beside Inuyasha and Kagome. She leaned back and crossed her arms and looked at her friends, hard.

“Kagome-chan,” Sango said. 

Kagome’s eyes were soft. “I owe you all an apology, I know,” she whispered.

“Kagome.” It was Kouga. Kagome turned her stormy eyes to his dazzling blue ones. 

“Kouga,” she said quietly. “I’m—I’m most sorry to you.”

“You did what you thought was right,” he said gruffly. He reached out to touch her hand, but Inuyasha growled viciously and tugged her to his chest. Kouga’s hand fell, and his eyes grew sad. Kagome let out a little growl of her own, and Inuyasha loosened his hold on her. Slightly.

Kagome turned back to Kouga. “I still shouldn’t have involved you,” she replied. “It wasn’t fair of me to put you in that situation, and I’m sorry that I even asked you to help me.”

“Tch,” he scoffed, turning his head. “I would do it 100 times over. We got that Tsuji bastard and brought down his research. We saved the mikos. That alone makes it worth it.” 

Kagome’s tears were brimming at the surface. She didn’t know what to say.

“Kouga,” she said instead, simply.

He grunted, but gave her a thin smile. 

“Kagome,” Miroku said, coming forward and placing his hands on his wife’s shoulders. “How are you feeling?”

“She just woke up, bouzo,” growled Inuyasha, “so back the fuck up.”

“ _Inuyasha_ ,” admonished Kagome. He growled again and drew her back to him.

“She needs the healer,” he said to Sango.

“I’ll go in a few minutes,” Sango retorted.

“I’d actually like to examine Kagome, if that’s all right with you both,” Miroku said.

“I’m okay with that,” Kagome said.

“I’m fucking not,” grunted Inuyasha.

“ _Inuyasha_ ,” Kagome said again. He buried his face in her hair up to his nose, his golden eyes shooting lasers at the monk. She reached back and tweaked a downy ear with her hand. “Relax.”

He grumbled, but allowed Miroku to approach.

“I won’t hurt her, Matsushita,” said Miroku. He perched on the edge of the bed. “Your hands, Kagome, if you please,” he added. 

Kagome held out her hands to Miroku; he raised his palms and she did the same, so that they were facing each other. They both closed their eyes and let their reiki loose: deep violet met magenta as their reiki began to tentatively interact. 

Anger flared in Inuyasha’s gut as he watched his soulmate’s reiki interact with another person’s. Her reiki was _his_ , no one else’s but fucking _his_ , and he would be _damned_ if was going to let another person— _No._

If he were going to let another _man_ —soulmated or not!—touch his woman’s reiki.

His reiki spiked; Inuyasha let out a visceral growl, and his reiki flew out, gold and ropey and vicious and cutting, and spliced the interaction between Kagome and MIroku clearly. Miroku leaped back behind Sango’s chair, out of the way of the reiki.

Just as fast, Inuyasha whipped it back, his eyes tinging red, his youki and reiki silently raging. He turned his golden eyes, now seeping with red, on Miroku.

Inuyasha then noticed that everyone in the room was...staring openly at him. Sango’s mouth was hanging; Miroku’s eyes were wide; Kouga’s arms were crossed and he was snarling softly.

“Matsushita,” said Sango, “what the _fuck_ was that?”

Inuyasha grunted and tugged Kagome closer to him. “Inuyasha,” she whispered.

“That is a question,” said yet _another_ familiar voice, “that this one would like answered as well, little brother.”

“Well, just fucking great,” snapped Inuyasha, “let’s all come in and look at the side show, shall we?”

“You’re not a side show, Inuyasha,” murmured Kagome comfortingly, but placatingly. He nipped at her ear in response. “Matsushita-sama,” she said to Sesshomaru, pointedly ignoring Inuyasha’s antics, “come in, please.” 

Sesshomaru entered the hospital room, followed by Kagura. Sesshomaru and Kouga nodded briefly to each other; the lords of the West and the East had a long-standing relationship that was, if not friendly, at the very least, amicable. Kagura took a seat in the other chair and leaned forward, her piercing red eyes taking in the atmosphere of the room. Sesshomaru rested against the wall between his mate and Kouga, his golden eyes hard and cold, the opposite of Inuyasha’s, which were fierce and heated.

“Since—since you’re all here,” Kagome said timidly, “maybe we should tell you what happened.”

“Fuck that,” exclaimed Inuyasha, holding her so tight she let out a tiny squeak, “what I want to know is, what the fucking hell happened to Tsubasa Tsubaki? Tsuji Onigumo said she was never in the room with the other mikos, but that she was nearby, which I don’t fucking believe. So where the _fuck_ did she go, and where the _fuck_ is she now?”

“Tell you what, Matushita,” said Sango easily, crossing her long legs and leaning back. Miroku gripped her shoulder from behind her, and she looked up at him and smiled. “You tell us where the _fuck_ that gold came from and why the _fuck_ you just tried to take out my husband, and maybe we’ll tell you what the _fuck_ we know about Tsubasa Tsubaki.”

Inuyasha let out a snarl of frustration, but nosed Kagome behind her ear. “Tell them whatever you want, koishii,” he whispered.

Kagome shivered. “O—okay,” she said slowly. She turned to their friends, who were watching them expectantly. “So….” she continued, realizing she didn’t really know what to say.

“Higurashi and I are telepathic,” Inuyasha said sharply. “We can hear each other’s thoughts, and we can talk to each other. And it started when we were in Naraku Industries, when Higurashi was…” He suddenly found that he couldn’t say that had happened to her.

“When I was bound to the reiki machine,” Kagome added quietly. Inuyasha growled and pulled her back to him. They rested together for a moment, their youki and reiki swirling together—Kagome bringing comfort to her soul mate. Kagome closed her eyes, and sought strength through their bond. 

_You can do this, Higurashi_ , he said. _It’s okay. You can tell them_.

Kagome smiled and opened her eyes. “When I was bound to the reiki machine,” she said, “I was desperate. Desperate to get free, desperate to get my reiki back, desperate for _something_ , _anything_ , to happen. And I reached deeply inside myself—so deep—and that’s where I found him.”

“Found _who_ , Kagome?” asked Miroku slowly, as though he knew the answer, but was afraid of what it would be.

Inuyasha leaned forward and nuzzled her ear; Kagome shivered. “Inuyasha,” she said, “I found Inuyasha. I called him, and he answered.”

The silence in the room was deadly. 

“Miko,” said Sesshomaru firmly, at last, “what do you mean, you _called_ this one’s brother?”

Kagome shifted on the bed. “I mean that...I was desperate for help,” she said carefully, trying to sort out her feelings, “and I was calling for him. And then he answered me.” She smiled softly, remembering what she had said. 

_Be careful. I love you_.

Inuyasha’s breath hitched at her admission. He closed his eyes, suddenly overcome with emotion. 

_I love you, Higurashi._ He paused.

_Don’t fucking pull anything like this again. I can’t lose you_.

Kagome suddenly started breathing heavily, her chest heaving. The weight of everything they’d been through fell on her, as did the recognition that it was basically all her fault. She started fighting her own tears back. _I’m so sorry,_ she said. _I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry._ Inuyasha’s chest rumbled loudly in response. 

“Kagome-chan?” said Sango hesitantly.

“What the _fuck_ are you saying to her, you damn mutt?” Kouga growled, balling his hands into fists.

“It’s—it’s okay, everyone,” Kagome gasped, now doubled over and weeping openly. “It’s...I’m fine. _Really_ ,” she added, turning her teary gaze onto Kouga. He submitted, loosening his fists, but continued to snarl softly at Inuyasha, who snarled right back.

“ _Gentlemen,_ ” begged Kagome, “ _please_.” Her tears were quickly drying, and were being replaced by a harsh glare that she turned on them both.

“Keh,” said Inuyasha, flipping his hair back; his ears flattened, though, while Kouga’s growls subsided. 

Sango, Miroku, Sesshomaru, and Kagura watched the exchange with interest. Sesshomaru in particular noted that his brother’s soulmate just bullied an inu hanyou and an ookami into submission. A hint of a smile crossed his face, while Kagura let out a chuckle that drew both Inuyasha’s and Kouga’s attention.

“Onee-san,” Inuyasha grunted, “I would suggest that you keep your opinions to yourself.”

Kagura didn’t respond, but she smirked madly. 

“So,” Miroku interrupted, bringing the attention back to the issue at hand, “you’re apparently _quite_ telepathic. What else can you do?”

“I—don’t know?” replied Kagome. 

“My reiki seems to be—unstable—at the moment,” added Inuyasha. 

“Of course it is,” Kagome shot back. “You’ve only just discovered that you have it, and you’re literally the only person I’ve ever seen who has both.” Her face softened. “You’re the only one,” she breathed, “and I have no idea what that means.” She leaned up to kiss him; he accepted her lips eagerly. “But I do know that it means I won’t let anyone treat you like a science experiment,” she promised, her lips centimeters from his. “I won’t let whatever’s left of the Spiritualist Society within a thousand kilometers of you. We will figure this out, together. You...and me.”

His eyes closed. “Higurashi,” he murmured, “I love you.”

“And I love you,” she whispered, “and we’ll get your reiki under control. We’ll stabilize it. I promise.” She pulled back and looked deep into his golden eyes—the same gold as his reiki. 

“And that’s why as soon as we get out of here, we’re going to train you,” Kagome added. 

“We?” he smirked, his eyebrows raised.

“Yes, _we_ ,” she shot back. “Me—and Miroku.”

Inuyasha’s eyes shot to the monk and he snarled loudly. He was still pissed at Miroku’s reiki merging with Kagome’s.

“Kagome,” Miroku said hesitantly, “I don’t think that is the best idea?”

“It’s the only option we have, Miroku,” replied Kagome reasonably. “As soon as Inuyasha and I are discharged, I will need you to help train him. _There’s no other choice, Inuyasha_ ,” she added fiercely, reaching up to tweak his ear again. “There’s no one else that I trust. Deal with it.” She leaned back into him and crossed her arms, making a little “hhmph” sound that Inuyasha found both infuriating and adorable.

“Fine,” he grunted, turning to Sango. “Tell me what you know about Tsubasa Tsubaki.”

Sango and Kouga exchanged a look. “There’s...not a whole lot to tell,” Sango said at last. 

“But what we do know, we can tell you,” Kouga added.

“Kouga?” Kagome blinked and turned her blue-gray eyes on him. “You...were there?”

Kouga grunted. “Do you remember us finding you with the mutt?” he asked roughly, frowning.

“I do,” Kagome said. “I just didn’t realize that you…”

“Moriyama-sama is basically an honorary member of the NPA at this point,” Sango snickered. “You better watch out, Matsushita, or he’s gonna replace you as my partner.”

Inuyasha growled in response. Honestly, if it meant he could spend more time with Kagome and keep her safe…

_No._ He couldn’t think about that. He had a job, he had a life, outside Kagome. 

Right?

Fucking _right_?

“So, Tsubaski-sama,” Miroku said, interrupting Inuyasha’s thoughts. 

“So, Tsubasa-sama,” said Sango, switching to Tsubasa’s last name to indicate her respect for, if not Tsubasa herself, at least her position. 

“Spill, Murasaki,” Inuyasha grunted. 

“O—fucking—kay,” Sango retorted. She paused and leaned back in her seat again. “So,” she said again, “Kagome had just healed Matsushita, and passed out on Kouga. Oh, come on, get a grip,” she snapped when Inuyasha started to growl again, “you were practically dead to the fucking world.” He snarled at her softly, and she snarled back and rolled her eyes. 

“ _Anyway_ ,” Kouga said irritably, “not long after Kagome passed out, the stretchers Totosai had called for showed up, and you two were rolled out. Totosai asked Sango to look for Tsubasa, and I went with her. And what we found is gonna shock the shit out of you.”

* * *

_“Do you think they’re be all right, Moriyama-sama?” Sango asked worriedly as Inuyasha and Kagome were loaded onto stretchers and taken out of the room. Totosai had reassured them that he would make sure the soulmates would be well taken care of, but Sango couldn’t help but be worried about her friend._

_“They’ll be fine,” he said, hoping he sounded more confident than he felt. Truth be told, he was pretty fucking concerned about Kagome. The mutt he knew would be fine; he’d seen spider youkai poison kill, and Kagome had gotten to him in plenty of time to purify most of the poison. He might be laid up for a few days, at worst, while the doctors kept an eye on his body’s ability to flush out the rest of the poison._

_Kagome, though...he sighed inwardly. She had been her usual stubborn self, overestimated her abilities, and it had almost gotten them killed. And look at where it landed her: passed out, totally spent, and her reiki in only the gods knew what condition. Granted, had Tsubasa Tsubaki not shown up, they probably had a good shot of getting in and out with the mikos. Between the two of them, they were pretty fucking powerful...just not against the President of the Spiritualist Society. But still…_

_She had called_ him _. Not the stupid mutt, not her friend the monk…_

_Kagome had called him._

_And he couldn’t help but smile a little bit at that._

_“Oi, Moriyama-sama!” Sango snapped. Kouga whipped his head around to look at her. “You coming with me?”_

_“For…?” Kouga had no idea what the_ fuck _she was talking about._

_“Totosai asked me to go after Tsubaki,” Sango said impatiently. “You in?”_

_Kouga immediately let out a growl. He wanted a chance to tear that bitch limb from limb._

_“Yeah,” he said savagely, flexing his claws. “Let’s fucking do it.”_

_“Come on, then,” replied Sango. They headed out into the hallway; Kouga began to scent the air, seeing if he could detect Tsubasa’s smell. He had only been able to scent her a few moments in the room where he’d first fought Kyokotsu, but he thought he would be able to detect her scent again if he needed to. Kouga paused, and walked a few meters in each direction, then caught a reiki signature and a scent that were different from the others that were in the room where he’d been with Sango._

_“I think she went this way,” he said, pointing south. Sango nodded, and he began to jog in that direction, Sango at his heels._

_Kouga followed the scent for several minutes, tracking it carefully around corners through several doors. It was faint, as was the reiki signature, but again, Kouga didn’t get to be the Lord of the East for as long as he had and not learn a thing or two about how to detect a barely-there scent. Anytime it got too faint for him to follow; he gave himself a moment to rest, closed his eyes, and allowed his youki to take over briefly. This way, Sango couldn’t see his eyes tinge red, and he could more easily reach out with his youki to find what he assumed was Tsubasa’s reiki signature. Each time, once he got a bead on the scent and the reiki, they took off again after it._

_At last, they came to a heavy metal door. Kouga looked at Sango, and nodded once. Sango drew her firearm, and Kouga lifted his leg so his knee was even with his chest, let out a roar, and kicked the door wide open. He and Sango rushed in…_

_But the room was empty._

_The two looked at each other. “What the fuck?” Kouga muttered. The scent had been strongest outside the door; he assumed the miko Tsubasa was in the room. However, the room itself? Totally and completely empty._

_All that was in there were several cabinets, a large metal table in the middle, and in the far corner, a massive freezer of some kind._

_“What kind of room is this, Moriyama-sama?” Sango asked, looking around suspiciously. She still had her firearm drawn._

_“Hells if I know. And Kouga is fine. None of this Lord of the East -sama bullshit.”_

_Sango gave him a thin smile. “Fine, Kouga,” she said, smirking in spite of herself. Her smirk quickly turned to a frown. “This room seems...empty...doesn’t it?” she added._

_“Tch,” Kouga scoffed. “Someone was fucking here.” He paused and scented the air. “I’m sure of it.” He started poking around the room, delicately nosing around, searching for a clue. He could feel Sango smiling at him, and let out a smirk of his own, knowing that he probably used his nose differently than the stupid mutt. He could just imagine Inuyasha barking about, on his hands and knees, like some dumb dog. Ookami sensibilities were far more refined, after all. One did not have to drop to the ground to detect scents; they were easily discernible in the air, if one knew how to use their nose properly. Which Kouga certainly did._

_And...once again, without being able to stop himself, his thoughts turned back to Kagome. Just by using his nose, he knew when she was happy; he knew when she was sad; he knew when she was lying to try and protect him. She’d been doing that a lot lately; he hadn’t realized it was to try and soften the blow for when she was gonna tell him that they weren’t soulmates. But in hindsight, it made total sense. She cared about him; he knew this. She didn’t want to hurt him; he knew this too. He knew her almost as well as he knew his betas._

_So why had he made it so fucking hard for her? Why had he fought her, and pursued her, when she’d made it so clear there could be nothing between them?_

_And, if he was telling the absolute, darkest truth...the mutt wasn’t so bad. He was surly and an ass, but he could hold his own in a fight. And he_ loved _Kagome with a fierceness that Kouga had to admire._

_Kouga sighed. It was time to maybe let go._

_And then…_

_“Over here, Murasaki,” he said sharply. He followed his nose upward; he realized he was standing in front of the giant freezer. Sango was at his side in an instant, and they exchanged a dark look. Kouga took the door handles in his hands and with a mighty yank, flung them open. Steam poured out as the frigid air inside made contact with the steamy air of the room._

_As the air cleared, Sango and Kouga peered inside. What they saw shocked them._

_Rows upon rows of lab sample tubes greeted them, frost caked on the outsides of the glass. As Sango and Kouga looked closer, they realized that the tubes on the left-hand side of the freezer were full of...something._

_Sango leaned in close and read the description on the side of the first tube. “Plasma?” she wondered, her eyes wide. Kouga let out a grunt of acknowledgement, his stomach twisting at the thought of what had been happening in those labs below the surface of Naraku Industries._

_“Nothing else needs to be kept so fucking cold,” Kouga said._

_“What the—” Sango muttered, but Kouga interrupted her. “Murasaki, look,” he said, pointing at several rows immediately next to the plasma. There were tubes missing from their slots. And if they looked more closely, they could see names in slots beside the missing tubes._

_Tanaka._

_Junoichi._

_Sarashina._

_Ishikawa._

_Ito._

_Yamamoto._

_And…_

_Nakaya._

_The only vials missing. And they belonged to the mikos._

* * *

When Sango and Kouga finished telling their story, the room was again deadly quiet, the tension incredibly thick. Kouga had of course left out his revelations about Kagome that he’d had while investigating, but between him and Sango, they managed to recount everything they’d seen after Kagome and Inuyasha were transported to the hospital. Miroku was gripping his wife’s shoulders; Inuyasha was holding Kagome closely and snarling yet again; Kagome looked at her friends, her face a mixture of horror at what they found and relief that they were okay. Kagura had reached up and was clenching her mate’s hand.

Sesshomaru, in fact, seemed the only one unmoved by Sango and Kouga’s story. Instead, he was deep in thought, his brow furrowed and one hand rubbing his temple above his left eye. 

This tale the detective and the ookami wove was...disturbing...to him...to say the least. 

Yet one more thing that he needed to consider.

He needed to speak to his brother— _alone_ —as soon as possible.

“All right, party’s over,” Inuyasha growled, “it’s time to get the fuck out. Higurashi needs her rest.”

“But Inuyasha—” Kagome protested.

“—no fucking way, Higurashi,” he snapped. “You just fucking woke up. The healer hasn’t been here yet. You’re fucking exhausted.” His language was going out of control again, but fuck it, he didn’t care. He needed them _gone_. _Now._ In an act of brilliance, he pressed the call button for the nurse. He knew she would kick everyone the fuck out, if he couldn’t.

Miroku let out a heavy sigh. “We’ll be back tomorrow, Matsushita, Kagome,” he said. He went to squeeze Kagome’s shoulder, but Inuyasha growled and tugged Kagome back into his chest.

“Oh, grow the fuck up, Matsushita,” Sango said, leaning over and kissing her friend on the cheek. Kagome closed her eyes and accepted the affection from her friend gratefully. “Tomorrow,” Sango promised, “and _let her get some rest_.” She spat the last part at Inuyasha, who grumbled, but nodded tritely. Satisfied she’d made her point, she waved at Kouga, who nodded back, and she took Miroku’s hand so they could leave.

“I’ll see ya around Kagome,” Kouga said, offering her a wave.

“Kouga,” Kagome said in a choked voice. He paused and looked at her—at Kagome, pale and tired-looking, her skin lackluster, her normally bright blue-gray eyes dull and faded. “I’m so sorry,” she said again.

He smiled and stopped by the hospital bed. He reached out and pressed the palm of his hand into her cheek. She closed her eyes and accepted the gesture gratefully, enjoying the feel of his warm skin against her cool face. Inuyasha watched, his golden eyes narrowed, but he allowed this moment of intimacy between the two. 

“I’ll be back to check on you tomorrow, okay?” Kouga’s voice was rough; he sounded as though leaving was the last thing he wanted to do. Kagome nodded. “Thank you for being here,” she whispered. 

“Yeah, wolf,” said Inuyasha suddenly. He offered his non-IV hand to Kouga. “Thank you for being there. For her...and for me.”

Inuyasha felt Kagome stiffen up, and then relax. He didn’t have to scent the air to know that she was crying.

Kouga hesitated for a moment, then accepted Inuyasha’s hand and gripped it tightly. “I did it for her,” he said.

Inuyasha glared at him. “I know,” he replied, and in that moment, they communicated everything that they needed to: about their feelings towards Kagome, and about their feelings towards each other.

They stayed like that, gripping hands tightly, claws digging into the other’s skin, until Kagome cleared her throat lightly. Inuyasha and Kouga dropped their hands, and looked away, both letting out tiny snarls. 

“Tomorrow,” Kouga said again. He looked at Inuyasha. “Let her sleep.”

“I fucking _will_.” What did everyone think they were gonna do in a hospital room?

Kouga nodded at them, then turned to Sesshomaru and Kagura. “A word?” he said to Sesshomaru. 

“This one does not take order from you, wolf,” replied Sesshomaru simply.

“Whatever,” Kouga said, “I need to fucking talk to you before I leave. In the hall, _Sesshomaru_.”

The sound of his name spoken like that made Sesshomaru instantly growl, but he pressed his hand into Kagura’s once more and then followed the Lord of the East into the hallway. Kagura rose and hovered for a moment by Inuyasha’s and Kagome’s bedside. 

“What is it, onee-san?” grunted Inuyasha. He could feel Kagome wilting in his arms. Where the _fuck_ was the nurse?

“Your reiki,” Kagura said.

“What the fuck about it?”

“I should let your brother tell you but…” she eyes flickered to the hallway, where they could hear Sesshomaru and Kouga arguing about something. “He’s apparently indisposed, and quite frankly, I’m not sure how he would handle telling you.”

“Tell me _what_!” He was slowly losing his sanity.

“Your reiki...it’s the same color as your mother’s.”

“ _Kagura!_ ” Sesshomaru’s voice was sharp from the hallway.

“Whoops,” Kagura exclaimed, “I guess it’s time to go!” She leaned over and kissed both Inuyasha and Kagome on the head. “We’ll be back tomorrow, Inuyasha-otouto,” she added. 

“Kagura-onee-sama,” Inuyasha began.

“Nope, no time to chat anymore!” she trilled, and gave them a little wave as she left. 

Inuyasha listened for the voices in the hallway to fade, and then snuggled up against his soulmate. He felt her body pressed tightly against his; he felt the swell of her hips pressed against his own; he felt her ass—her divine, sweet ass—

_Rest_. _Kagome needs rest_.

“Inuyasha?” she mumbled, already falling asleep in his arms.

“What is it, Higurashi?” he asked, nuzzling her cheek gently.

_I can feel you._

She could...what? _Oh._

_And don’t worry. As soon as we get out of here, I’ll make sure you get_ exactly _what you need._

He wrapped his arms around her as tightly as he dared, and buried his face in his hair, enjoying her sweet, sweet scent. He trailed his nose down to her ear and nipped it lightly; Kagome moaned softly in response. 

Gods, he wanted her. 

_I think that as soon as we get out of here_ , he told her, _we_ both _get what we need._

He immediately detected a spike in her scent as she turned to cuddle up against him.

_Good,_ she said. _Because there are just some things you don’t do in a hospital bed_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo...how much longer will Inuyasha and Kagome have to wait before they can finally relieve some of this "tension" they're both feeling? How will Inuyasha respond to reiki training (lol, guess), and to the fact that his reiki is the same color as his mother's (lol, also guess)? 
> 
> Thanks again everyone, so much, for reading, and I look forward to seeing you all next Sunday, for the next update! Take care 🥰


	35. The Whole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha struggles to train his reiki. He and Kagome finally talk about what happened, and Kagome makes a very important decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you are safe and well.
> 
> Welcome to the next chapter of Spirited Soulmates! There are some exciting things about to happen...I hope you are ready for them. Please enjoy!!

“Not like that, Inuyasha, you have to concentrate.”

“Fucking hell, Higurashi, what the fuck do you think I’m doing?”

“I knew this was a bad idea,” Kagome said to Miroku, who was rolling his eyes at them both. “I should have just let you do this.”

“And like I said,” Inuyasha grunted, digging his claws into his hands, “I don’t want anybody but _you_ to train me.”

“Sure,” said Kagome, leaning back against the sofa and crossing her arms, “and how great was that arrangement working out for us?”

Inuyasha opened his mouth to offer a tart reply, but snapped it shut instead. Because she was fucking right.

Two days in the hospital had been about all that Inuyasha could bear. After she had the microchip removed from her shoulder, the one that Tsuji and Tsubasa had used to control her reiki—he hadn’t left Kagome’s side—her bed, really—the entire time, except to use the bathroom and to shower. When she needed to do the latter, he insisted on joining her to make sure she didn’t lose her balance, or worse, lose consciousness. He held her up while she bathed; he washed her hair for her; he even followed her to the bathroom and helped her on and off the toilet. When the nurses insisted it was time for Kagome to start to walk again, at first Inuyasha had growled at them so fiercely he scared them off, but eventually he started to join her on her walks, holding her hand, his golden eyes and downy ears on high alert for any change to her countenance that might suggest she would fall. Because he knew how fucking exhausted she was, and how much energy she’d had to exert.

Kagome protested, but feebly, because deep down, she kind of liked him taking care of her. She loved the feel of his hands, holding her up as they moved together across the tile floor. She loved the way that his claws ran through her hair when he washed it. She loved the way his body felt against hers—soft and yielding skin covering hard muscle—as she leaned against him for balance. And she loved the way he nestled her safely into his arms when they were cuddled on the hospital bed. She loved all the ways he made their time recovering feel like magic. 

Fuck it all. She just loved him. 

He’d stayed by her side when, the day that they were released, she wanted to go over to the spiritual hospital to see her friends and her student. Their reiki hadn’t been fully taken (and Sakura’s not at all), but they were still weary from their ordeal and needed rest. Naomi in particular was significantly weakened by the experience, and required additional healing and medical attention. He’d stayed by her side as Kagome cried an inordinate number of tears, apologized to them all profusely (even though in that case, none of it, save Sakura’s kidnapping, was technically her fault), and cried some more. Then he’d taken her home and put her right to bed, where he proceeded to hold her all night, through the trembling as she tried to process everything she experienced that day, through the nightmare she had that left her kicking and trying so hard to wrench free of him she kneed him in the balls, and through her apologies as she cried over that too.

Because he loved her. 

Unfortunately, in this moment, even though they may have given into their love for one another, neither was very happy with the other. 

“Will you let Miroku do this with you, Inuyasha? _Please_?” Kagome was trying very hard not to allow her patience to wear thin with her soulmate, but he was clearly struggling to bring his reiki under control. His balance between youki and reiki had been unstable ever since his reiki awakened, and it had made him extra surly and protective. She didn’t mind the protective part, much? But the surly….

Inuyasha scowled. “I already said, no fucking way.” He let out a growl in Miroku’s direction and whipped his head around, crossing his arms and flashing his fangs before shaking his hair over his face.

Miroku looked between the two and sighed. “Kagome,” he said, moving to his feet, “can I talk to you for a second?” Kagome shot Inuyasha a fierce look, but he was too busy lost in his sullen mood to notice. She pulled herself to her feet and padded after Miroku into the genkan, where they both slipped on their shoes and Miroku grabbed his jacket, and then they both outside the apartment.

“He’s still gonna hear us, you know,” Kagome said. 

“I know,” Miroku replied, “but I need the false sense of privacy to say what I need to say.” 

Kagome crossed her arms and stared at him. 

“You two need to _talk_ ,” Miroku said. “Your auras are so unstable, it’s no wonder you can’t properly train him. And in the state he’s in, he’s not gonna want to work with me. When you see his aura, Kagome, what do you notice about it?”

Kagome paused and closed her eyes, thinking about what she had seen from Inuyasha’s youki and reiki that evening. He had been so resistant to her, so unwilling to allow himself to relax, to call forth one and let the other recede. It was as though his two sides—youki and reiki—were at war, each vying for control over the other. This led to both his youki and reiki....

Kagome let out a gasp at her realization; she looked up at Miroku in shock. “Miroku…” she said weakly.

“So you _do_ see it,” he said finally, leaning against the door and peering into her face thoughtfully.

“His youki is...it’s dark, Miroku,” she whispered. “And his reiki…”

“Is also dark,” Miroku finished. “He’s angry, Kagome. If he’s going to progress any further in his training—if he wants to learn how to make a barrier, which to be honest is the single most important thing he needs to learn—he has to resolve these issues within himself.”

“And you think those issues have to do with me, don’t you?” Kagome asked dully.

“I think that you both have unresolved feelings after everything that happened with Tsuji Onigumo,” Miroku replied carefully. “And I think you need to talk it out before Matsushita can move forward with his training.”

“You mean that I did a shit thing and I need to apologize.” Kagome didn’t mince words.

“I think that you two need to resolve whatever is going on between the two of you, Kagome dear.” Miroku leaned forward and patted her arm affectionately. “Before it blows up in both your faces.” He saw her frowning, and squeezed her arm. “It’ll be okay,” he assured her. “Don’t worry, all right?”

Kagome let out a breath. “Okay,” she said, “okay. I’ll try.”

Miroku’s face broke out into a huge grin. “I’m glad,” he replied. “And I’ll be back tomorrow to see how you’re doing.”

“You have to teach tomorrow, Miroku,” Kagome pointed out.

“We haven’t closed the school _ever_ since we opened, except at New Year’s,” he said gently. “Let’s take this time to rest and regroup, okay? The students aren’t going anywhere. We’re the only school there is.” He zipped up his jacket and pulled up the hood. “Tomorrow, okay? Talk, and then get some rest. You’ll need it.” He paused; the grin was back. “I intend to push you both hard tomorrow.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Kagome said with a wave of her hand. “Say hi to Sango and the girls.”

“I will,” he answered, then started down the steps. Before he reached the first landing, he turned back around. “You two have a very special, very unique bond,” he added. “I would hate to see that falter. Work things out, okay? _Talk to him_ , Kagome.”

“ _I will_ ,” she emphasized right back. He waved and kept going down the stairs, soon disappearing from view.

Kagome waited until she was sure Miroku was gone, then turned and leaned against the apartment door. He was totally fucking right; she and Inuyasha did need to talk. But where should she start? What should she say? How could she tell him, _I’m the biggest fuckup in the world, and I’m so fucking sorry that I put everyone in danger because I couldn’t see past my own face? Because I was so fucking cocky? Because I was so sure I could do it all_?

Because she knew now: she couldn’t do it all. Not alone, anyway.

Kagome thought back to the morning after Inuyasha’s human night—the night he fucked her in the bathtub without a condom (she both blushed and grew incredibly aroused at that thought). That morning, he’d asked her to come stay with him; she’d realized for the first time that they were an _us_. She hadn’t hated it then, so why had she been so averse to it in the moment she needed him the most? Because she still didn’t hate that idea—not really. Not now.

When the moment had come for her to embrace that new identity, though, she’d chucked it aside and called Kouga instead. She’d gone back to what was safe, back to what she knew. Because in reality, while the whole “no NPA” thing was a pretty valid reason to _not_ call her soulmate, it was also a pretty thin excuse. She’d been afraid that he wouldn’t let her help—that he wouldn’t let her do what she wanted. But when they fought Tsuji, they’d done it _together_. They’d defeated him _together_. 

Kagome needed to let Inuyasha know: she wanted to do _everything_ with him, from now on.

_Together._

And that included training him. Because godfuckingdammit, he was _hers_ , and she meant what she said in the hospital: she would be damned if she let _anyone_ from the Spiritualist Society get within a thousand kilometers of him. And she also meant what she said when she acknowledged that she had never encountered anyone like him before—with such a powerful youki and a burgeoning reiki. But while she found his youki and reiki incredible and beautiful and sexy as hell, she knew that there were people out there who would find that combination lucrative and of scientific interest. People who might try to take him...who might try...unspeakable...

Kagome felt instantly sick to her stomach and had to bend over and wrap her arms around her belly to keep from throwing up. She took several deep breaths to try and right herself. The thought of Inuyasha in a lab being _experimented_ on, having his reiki and his youki analyzed, trapped in a tube like she had been...her reiki instantly flared up and sparked as she created a barrier to comfort herself. 

_NO_ , she thought fiercely, _NO_. She would not allow anyone to take Inuyasha from her. She would protect him with her life if she had to. She did not want anyone else touching him. 

He. Was. Hers.

But first, she needed to make him aware of how much she needed him. And how fucking sorry she was, for everything. 

She pushed open the door to the apartment, dropping her barrier so she would be non-threatening. “Inuyasha?” she called out. She sent out her reiki and found him in the kitchen; his youki and reiki both still dark and spiky. He was throwing together some kind of meal; she slid into a bar stool on the other side of the counter and watched him for several moments, smiling slightly at his ease at the stove. He was making tamagoyaki, and she watched appraisingly as he created the individual layers and rolled each one up expertly, despite his angry, angry aura.

When it was finished, he removed it from the pan with chopsticks and placed it on a platter, where he sliced it up neatly. He grabbed a second set of chopsticks and pushed the plate towards her. 

“Here,” he said roughly. “You need to eat.”

Kagome accepted the chopsticks. “Probably,” she replied, “but we need to talk more.”

His aura billowed out around him and reached towards her; she let out her reiki and allowed his aura—youki and reiki—to encompass it. It felt dark and dangerous, but it also felt timid, as if it were ready to jump back away from her at any moment. It could kill her, but it could also run from her. Kagome felt sick to her stomach again at that thought.

She had to make this right. She had to.

“Your reiki,” she said, unsure of where to begin. “It is the same as your mother’s, Kagura-sama said.”

Inuyasha grunted and jabbed a piece of tamagoyaki with a chopstick and slammed it into his mouth. He stood there, staring at her, chewing loudly, opening his mouth as he smacked his jaws. He was goading her; Kagome knew. She couldn’t fall for it. Kagome took small breaths and kept her countenance calm. That had not been the right tactic. She decided to try again: a different avenue.

“Inuyasha,” she said, putting down the chopsticks. That caught his attention.

“I made this for you,” he grunted, and shoved the platter at her.

“Later,” she replied, shoving it back. “I’m—I’m sorry, Inuyasha. I’m so fucking sorry.” She paused and leaned forward in her seat, placing her elbows on the counter and folding her hands. She rested her face in her clasped hands and took a deep breath. “You—” she began, but her voice came out muffled, so she dropped her forehead to her knuckles and closed her eyes. “I was wrong not to call you,” she said at last. “It was a stupid, stupid thing to do. I really thought I could handle it—I thought Kouga and I could handle it. We’ve been in bad situations before; I didn’t think it could be much worse, honestly.”

“But it fucking was, Higurashi,” he said roughly, tossing his chopsticks on the counter and pushing to his feet. “It was fucking awful!” He rounded the counter and went to her side. He grabbed her hands off the table and pressed them to his chest; she slid off the stool and was forced to gaze up into his blazing amber eyes. “Do you know what it was like for me that day? How badly I wanted to get to you? And Tsuji and Tsubasa—they made goddamn sure that I couldn’t—that I was on the other side of the city, an hour away from being able to reach you. From being able to _save_ you. And look at what happened!” He pushed away from her and began to pace the length of the yoshitsu, gripping his hands tightly in his hair. Kagome watched, horrified—but deep in her heart, she knew that he had to get this out. She would let him say his piece, and she would listen. She owed him that much.

“You could have fucking _died_ , Kagome!” he shouted, flinging his hands to his sides and falling to his knees. He covered his face with his hands. “You could have fucking died,” he repeated, a hoarse whisper on his tongue. “And then where would I have been? I would’ve been… I would have been my father all over again.”

Kagome froze for one brief, terrible moment, then quickly closed the distance between them. She threw her arms around him and cried; she realized with shock that he was crying too. 

The weight of her guilt was bearing on her full at this point; she hadn’t even stopped to consider that putting herself in serious danger would leave Inuyasha without his soulmate. He was already freaked out about her being human; he already wanted her to share his lifespan. But to have been taken from him so suddenly, when they had only just met, when they had everything in front of them?

Oh _gods_ , what had she been thinking?

She _had_ to stop being so stubborn. She _had_ to show him that she understood what she’d almost done to him... _NO._

What she had almost done to _them._

She found that she wanted, more than anything, to be a _them_ with him. To prove to him that she was all in. That she was no longer going to half-ass things, or go to someone else when she was in need. 

At that moment, Kagome knew.

It was clear to her why soulmates were destiny, because Inuyasha _was_ her destiny.

And she wasn’t afraid to show him that, every day, for the rest of their lives.

Beginning...right then. 

Slowly, carefully, making a point not to encroach upon his space, Kagome erected a barrier around them both. She built it up strong, so that it covered both of them, and she built it up thick, so that it felt impenetrable. The barrier’s color was soft—a dusky rose instead of her usual bright pink—because Kagome wanted it to bring him comfort. She wanted them to be the only two people in the world; she wanted to exist with, and _for_ , no one else but him. 

Inuyasha felt the shift in reiki and looked up at her through his hair. “Higurashi?” he said, hesitatingly, carefully.

Kagome leaned forward. “Shhh,” she said, and covered his lips with hers. 

The electricity that ran through them put in the moment was palpable. Kagome felt real shocks jolting her system; she felt streaks of lightning hitting her lips, running down her sternum, and spreading out into all parts of her body. She let out a little moan; she couldn’t help it. The feelings inside her, radiating from every corner of her being…

It was almost too much.

“Higurashi,” he whispered. “It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay.”

“It’s really not,” she murmured, “but I’m going to do everything I can to make it okay, to do right by you, by _us_.” She pulled back from his lips slightly and he let out a little whine. Her barrier was now sparking; his reiki was caressing it, trying to join it. She smiled and let down her guard just enough to allow his reiki to join hers, and when it did, they both let out loud sighs of satisfaction and want at the impact. Kagome saw Inuyasha’s reiki, already a brighter gold, crisscrossing her magenta barrier; she felt the tears falling again, fast and furious, as she acknowledged that here, in this moment, he was stable, and he was hers again.

 _Inuyasha_ , she tried. 

_I’m here_ , he said.

 _I’m here_ , she said. _I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere. Not without you. Not ever again_.

He crushed her to him so tightly she thought she might break in two. But his body pressed against her like this made her insane with desire. 

_Good,_ he told her. _Because I’m never letting you out of my sight again_.

 _Good_ , she answered. _Because I’m never letting_ you _out of my sight again._

Inuyasha wrapped her up in his arms and stood. _Bedroom, Inuyasha_ , she said. _Now. Please?_

He let out a chuckle and kissed her again. _As if you have to ask_ , he replied, his tongue now running across the seam of her lips. Kagome let out a little moan, and Inuyasha nipped her lips.

 _No talking_ , he told her, and drove his tongue into her mouth. 

The feel of him inside her—even just his tongue in her mouth—was enough to make her clench her legs around his waist and squeeze hard. He plunged even deeper into her, running his tongue all over her teeth, the roof of her mouth, the inside of her cheeks, and practically down her throat. He needed to taste _all_ of her—he needed to be sure she was real, she was there, and she was with him.

 _Higurashi_. It was no more than a whisper. 

_Bedroom_. Also no more than a whisper.

Still locked onto Kagome’s lips, Inuyasha fumbled his way down the hall, to the bedroom. He used his knee to slide the pocket door open, refusing to remove his hands from her ass, which he was currently squeezing hard in delight. He’d been so fucking mad at her, not even five minutes ago, and yet here they were, ensconced in a protective barrier—one made by the both of them—and about to make love for the first time since Kagome’s stupid, dangerous decision. And he realized: as mad as he was at her, as fucking stupid as she was...he fucking _needed_ her. In the worst way.

Inuyasha laid her down gently on the futon. 

_Keep the barrier up_? She asked him.

He smiled. _Let’s see if you can make it hold the whole time_.

She smirked. _Let’s see if you can hold up your end of the barrier, dog boy_.

He let out a growl at that and attacked her throat. He pressed his fangs into her neck in the way that he knew drove her fucking insane, and when she tried to let out some feral, inhuman sound, he pressed a hand to her mouth. 

_No talking, Higurashi_ , he reminded her harshly.

Eyes wide, she nodded and took a deep breath. 

Kagome decided that she wanted to try something. She’d managed to tame his reiki thus far, by integrating it with her own and using it to help support her barrier. She wondered if she could also help him calm his youki, by finding a balance between both sides of his power. It was still a deep, dark red, angry and swirling around. She felt his youki spiking in resistance to the barrier; it did not want to be told what to do. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath; he dragged his fangs down her jugular and across her collarbone. Her arousal spiked, and she channeled that passion and feeling into the barrier—into a place Inuyasha’s reiki _and_ his youki would be able to detect it. She wanted him to know what he meant to her, and how he made her feel: reiki, youki, _all_ of him. 

The barrier blossomed into a brilliant sunset: pinks and reds streaked with gold, infused with her love and need for him. When he stopped short in his ministrations, and the sunset burst all around them, she knew that she’d hit on something.

What she didn’t count on was the feeling that she received in return. 

It was _deep_ , and _dark_ , and it drew her into a distant place that made her thighs clench and tremble and made her body weep with need. She looked down and realized that she had been massaging his ears, without even thinking about it. At every stroke, every tweak, he was sending all that feeling into the barrier, brilliant red and shining, so that it rebounded into her: a jolt, a flick of heat right to her most sensitive parts. And now she was about ready to ruin another pair of panties, and maybe her pants, too. 

_Now you know what you do to me, Ka-Go-Me_. 

She didn’t have to see his face to know that he was smirking. 

Kagome let out a grunt and pushed him off her; Inuyasha scooted back and sat on his haunches, ears swiveled in her direction, blazing amber eyes watching her with interest as the barrier expanded to accommodate their temporary distance. With a swift grab she pulled at the hem of her sweater and yanked it over her head, letting her hair tumble out around her as she gave it a little shake. His golden eyes burned for her in response. Kagome unhooked her bra and threw it at him; he chuckled and caught it, then pressed the cups to his face, inhaling her scent. She felt another swell of desire hitting her; Kagome let out a gasp and Inuyasha growled in her head. 

_I know, I know,_ she said.

 _Apparently, you don’t_. He took another massive sniff of her bra, and she felt everything below her waist lock up as she fell to the side. 

Yup. He’d figured out how to channel his desires just fine. 

Kagome used her position on the futon to unbutton her pants and slip them down, along with her panties, over her hips. She blinked at him, and he leaned forward, a ravenous glint in his eye, as he snagged her pants with one claw and tugged them down the length of her legs. Kagome let out a breath and he silenced her with a deadly look. 

_No—_

_No talking,_ she finished for him. _I know_.

Inuyasha tossed the rest of her clothing aside and eyed her body hungrily. Gods, how he needed her, and gods, how she needed him. 

He hooked a clawed finger in her direction; she nodded, and he proceeded to run it the length of her entire form. He started at her toes, and dragged upwards: along her calf, around the back of her knee, up her thigh, across the curls at the apex of her sex, then up across her hipbone, the soft swell of her stomach. He traced the edges of her breasts; he saw how her breath hitched when he caught the soft, round swells just so. Then, he gently caressed her nipples, using two claws this time to tweak them, teasing them just enough to make her crazy. It apparently worked, because he was suddenly overcome with so much emotion his youki flared out against the protection of the barrier Kagome had so expertly constructed around them. His cock was straining in his pants. He needed to take her. 

Now.

 _Higurashi_. It was thready, and rough, and couldn’t even begin to capture the way that she was making him feel in that moment. 

_Hush, Inuyasha_ , she said simply, leaning forward and drawing him to her for a soft, languid kiss. _You are mine, and no one else’s. I promise. I am here, and I’m ready for you._

 _My love_.

Inuyasha’s youki bellowed in glee and shifted from a dark red to something brighter and less sinister. He rose, tore his jeans from his body—not caring that they were his favorites and that he would probably be angry with himself later—then his boxer briefs. He reached into his messenger bag, which he kept by the futon, and withdrew a condom. In seconds it was on and he was laying himself on top of her, nuzzling her breasts with his nose, pouring all his love for her into the barrier—into their bond. They both groaned aloud at the feel of his cock against the arousal-slicked lips of her sex. How was it possible she was this wet already? Without him even touching her? Was this the power of their telepathic bond?

Kagome reached up and pulled him back in for yet another kiss, her lips slightly open, her steely eyes bright and willing. She shifted so that her legs were now parted, and she hooked them around Inuyasha and drew him more closely to her. She bared her neck to him in submission and forced him between her legs. Inuyasha paused, then latched himself onto her neck as he thrust his cock into her eager and waiting sex.

The feel of his dick invading her, filling her, and pulsing against the walls of her sodden passage had them both quivering with the glory of it all. Kagome directed her energies towards the barrier, and she felt Inuyasha’s emotions jettisoning back to her, burying themselves deep inside her soul, like he was burying himself deep inside her body. The feeling of Inuyasha in her—all around her—was almost immediately too much, and she cried out for him in her mind.

 _Inu—Inuyasha_ , she moaned, amazed at how wanton she could sound without saying a word.

She felt his body vibrate against her, and she suddenly found it _very_ hard to keep the barrier intact.

He began to move, languidly at first, as though he were reveling in the feel of her just as much as she was in the feel of him. She found herself wishing there was no condom. She _needed_ his hot, solid cock, and only his cock, pistoning in and out of her, without the sheath of latex between them. 

Then, he chuckled against her neck, and she clutched at him more fervently, her heels digging into the small of his back as she thrust upwards to meet him, her body desperate to be filled, to be sated. 

_Higurashi_.

She let out a little growl and lapped at his cheek, his mouth still fixed to her neck. 

_I want—I want to do something else, Inuyasha._

His breath was hot—so hot, and moist. It tickled her.

_What else could you want?_

She pushed him away and slid out from underneath him, leaving him stunned. “What…what’s wrong?” he stammered, forgetting to use telepathy in his confusion.

Kagome crawled and pawed her way up his body. _Gods_ , she had forgotten how good he smelled. She pressed her face into his chest and inhaled the sweat and the musk and the sex that was Inuyasha. 

That was Inuyasha and _her_.

And that was the moment she knew: she couldn’t live without him anymore than he could live without her. But she also knew this: that in making this choice, she was choosing _life_ , not death. She was choosing to live a full life with her soulmate, not dying of old age and regretting all that they could have had.

Death was coming for them. It could come at any time—Inuyasha’s near-death (and her own, actually) just a few days ago showed her this more clearly than anything else. But she also knew that he was going to continue to be in danger. A reiki-wielding hanyou was a threat to the world order—it threatened to upset the already tenuous balance between youkai and humans. He was going to need her now, and the next day, and the next year, and the next 50 years, and so on. 

She could never forgive herself if she abandoned him. She loved him too much—more than her own hang-ups about immortality, more than her own stubborn foolishness. She just _loved him_. And she wanted to be with him, as he was, as _she_ was. For however long that was. 

In her heart of hearts, beneath all the trepidation, the insecurity, the questioning, one thing was impossibly clear:

Inuyasha was born to meet her. And she was born for him.

Kagome pulled herself up so she was even with him and looked deeply into his eyes. Gold met steel and held him there, captivated; she wanted him to see the connection between them, to _feel_ the everlastingness of their link, as she now understood it. Kagome smiled softly, wrapping her arms around his neck and drawing him close. She pressed into him for a long and sensual kiss, then pushed him backwards onto the futon. 

_Mine._

Inuyasha’s eyes watched her greedily as she straddled his hips and leaned over, peppering his face with kisses as she centered herself over him. 

_I want to ride you, Inuyasha_ , she whispered. 

He reached down and grabbed her hips. _Higurashi,_ he said. _Please_.

Kagome sank down on his cock; the shock of the new sensation sent them both channeling their emotions upwards, towards the barrier, and they each let out a telepathic moan as the feelings of Kagome all around Inuyasha, and Inuyasha inside Kagome, hit them both fully. They were now fully experiencing both sides of sex, and Kagome had to pause and rest herself against Inuyasha’s chest in order to stop her body’s shaking at the sudden rush of emotions. She could feel both his hardness and her softness; she could feel his heat and her slickness. 

_Higurashi?_

She propped herself up on her hands and kissed him gently. _I’m okay_ , she replied. _It was just…_

 _...a lot_ , he finished.

She let out a giggle. _Yeah_ , she said, tears pricking the corners of her eyes for some reason. _A lot_. 

Inuyasha reached up one hand and gently caressed her cheek. She nuzzled him affectionately and nipped his palm. He hissed in her mind and she licked the spot, soothing the skin. 

_I’m going to move now_ , she said, _is that okay_?

He responded by lifting both hands to her face and slowly trailing them down her body, from her cheeks, to her neck, her shoulders, her arms...and eventually setting at her breasts, where he kneaded the skin delicately and pulled at her nipples. Kagome shivered, and rolled her hips so that they could begin to move. 

From her position so close to his face, Kagome could watch the shifting range of Inuyasha’s emotions carefully. Each time she slipped further along his shaft, he tensed up and she felt his cock grow tight with want. When she slid back so he was fully sheathed inside her again, she felt him pulse against her walls and she gave a little soft keen of pleasure.

Had it ever felt so good to have Inuyasha inside her? 

_Faster, Higurashi_ , came his voice, needy and rough and laden with lust. Kagome saw his eyes; they were starting to tinge red with desire and with impatience. She smirked and began to pick up the pace, rolling her hips faster and faster, grinding herself onto his cock and pressing her body into his. She needed to feel him—touch him, taste him, smell him—be totally engulfed by him. She closed her eyes, and unleashed all her feelings into the barrier; she could _feel_ him reaching out with his reiki and absorbing them. Inuyasha tensed up again, let out a massive growl, and yanked her to his chest, his hips now moving faster; his body reflecting her desire to bond.

Kagome let out her own keening cry as her walls tightened around him and she felt the coil that had been spooling inside her belly string even tauter. She rammed her face into his neck, and sucked at hard the juncture of his neck and shoulder as she felt him slam into her. 

_Inuyasha,_ she moaned. _I’m getting close_.

 _Then do it_ , he grunted back. His voice was gruff and chafed against her soul. She bared her little canines and drove her teeth into his neck, infusing the bite with so much reiki the two of them became flush with a bright pink light that reverberated and burst outward.

Inuyasha howled at her bite, and Kagome felt him grow impossibly large inside her. She ground against him as he thrust forcefully into her and found his release; his jaws clamped onto her own shoulder and he bit down, hard, infusing the bite with equal parts youki and reiki so that the pain was minimal. Kagome felt her entire body humming with relief and pleasure, and she moaned his name fully, both in her head and out loud, her very existence exploding with the satisfaction of finally letting herself fully go in his arms. 

Kagome sank down beside Inuyasha on the futon; he was still pressed deep inside her, and she was in no hurry to let him go. She felt...tired, but _alive;_ her senses were thrumming as she allowed her soulmate to completely wrap himself around her. He lapped at the wound on her neck, and she let out a tiny moan and quaked.

Inuyasha withdrew from her slowly; he reached down to peel off the condom and tossed it aside, not even caring if it hit the trash or not. He curled in on her again; she let out a little sigh. 

Together, they slowly drifted off to sleep, and the bites on their necks softly glowed pink and red in the moonlight. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They finally did it! I hope that it was worth the wait, and that you did enjoy their youkai mating 💖
> 
> How will things change for Inuyasha and Kagome now that they are soul and youkai mated? What will they do about Tsubaki? What will _Sesshomaru_ think about this new development? Find out this and more at the next update, which will be...
> 
> Nov. 22! I will be taking a little break from SS. The next two weeks will have some new fics, and revists to some previously published pieces! So I hope you enjoy I have planned for you in the coming weeks, and when I see you back on the 22nd, it will be for another very special chapter, with a VERY special surprise planned.
> 
> As always, thanks everyone, _so much_ for reading, and I will see you at the next update!


	36. Reunited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha wakes up and realizes he's marked Kagome, but can't remember doing it. Kagome takes serious action to try and help him. Later, they get a visit from someone who raises Inuyasha's hackles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you're safe and well. 
> 
> Welcome to the next chapter of _Spirited Soulmates_! I am so very excited to share this one with you. It features some incredible commissioned artwork by my friend [nartista](https://nartista-digital.tumblr.com/), and I hope you love it as much as I do. 
> 
> And before I forget, I wanted to announce that I have completed a full draft of Spirited Soulmates! It will be 45 chapters, and there are some surprises in store for you still! I can't wait to share it with all of you 💖
> 
> Now, please, please enjoy!

The sunlight from the open shades caught Inuyasha’s eyes, and he squinted against the bright morning light. He groaned and rolled his neck from side to side. He felt something move against him, and he shifted his weight as his eyes adjusted. 

It was Kagome. She was sleeping completely snuggled into his side, one arm thrown haphazardly across his chest, the other wrapped up in his hair, fisting it gently in time with her breaths. He smiled. Her face was soft, and serene; her eyelashes long and fluttering as she dreamed. He turned and nuzzled her hair, gently nosing it away from his face.

And then he saw it.

A big— _huge_ , really—glowing mark on her shoulder.

Oh, _FUCK._

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. 

_Fuck_.

Inuyasha slammed his head backwards onto the futon repeatedly, as hard as he dared without running the risk of waking Kagome. He gently pushed her hair aside so he could inspect the mark more deeply.

A ferocious bite, that much was clear. And good gods, it was _massive_. What had he been trying to do in the moment—eat her? Devour her whole? Claim her, body _and_ soul? That was the only explanation for the size of this mark. He could still make out the teeth marks from where he’d bitten her—did he not even bother to treat the wound after? Had he licked it, soothed it, made her feel safe? 

Why the _fuck_ couldn’t he remember?

 _Inuyasha_ , she murmured, and he was immediately snuggling her to him.

 _Kagome_ , he whispered. _I’m so, so sorry_.

Kagome’s eyes shot open and she scooted away from him.

“Sorry? Why are you sorry?” she demanded.

“It’s...you’re...the...did you even _see_?” he stammered, finally drawing her hand up to touch her own mark. 

Kagome’s fingers brushed against the skin, and she shivered. “Inuyasha,” she whispered.

“I know you said you weren’t ready,” he was babbling, “and here I went and marked you, and _fuck_ , why the _fuck_ don’t I remember it?”

“Inuyasha,” she tried again.

“No, Higurashi, I can’t believe I fucked up this badly. How could I have done this to you?” He was spiraling now.

Kagome sat up and reached out with her hands to grasp the sides of his face; she sent a jolt of reiki his way, and he let out a loud groan as their reiki met and sparked. 

_Will you listen to me now, Matsushita?_ It wasn’t really a question.

He let out a little growl, but relaxed. _Fine_ , he said sourly, _fine_.

Kagome smiled softly. “I’m not the only one with a mark, you know, Inuyasha,” she said quietly, brushing his hair out of the way. Her thumb ran over his mark, and he let out a desperate whine. His eyes grew wide.

“Hi—Higurashi,” he breathed. 

She brought his hand back up to her shoulder, and ran the pads of his fingers over her mark. She sighed and shivered. 

“So—so we marked each other?” he asked, surprised.

Kagome nodded. “Actually,” she whispered, suddenly embarrassed, “I marked you first.”

Inuyasha’s eyes flew open wide. Was that even possible?

Kagome could tell that his reiki and youki were becoming unstable again—in his panic over the mating mark, he was starting to lose himself.

She decided to take a chance.

 _Here_ , she said; she leaned forward and gently caressed his cheeks with her hands. She leaned in close so their foreheads were touching. _I can help you remember. Please._ _Please_ , _let me help you remember, Inuyasha. Use your reiki—let us help you remember_.

Inuyasha trembled and brought his hands up to cover hers. They were both breathing heavily; they gazed into each other’s eyes. 

_Inuyasha,_ she said. _I want you to use your reiki. See if you can meet me_.

He paused; she could tell he was searching through his mind. His face seemed...pained.

 _Relax, anata_ , she said lovingly, allowing her reiki to gently fan out around him and pull them both in. _I’ve got you. Let it out._

Inuyasha breathed slowly, in and out, and closed his eyes. Kagome could see his reiki, golden and shimmering, flow forth from his body and rush to meet hers. Pink and gold intertwined, crisscrossing around them, more stunning than a Fabregé egg. When Kagome felt that he was stable, she took her reiki, and reached out, into his mind.

He let out a sudden hiss at the intrusion, and Kagome moaned softly as she entered the recesses of his deepest thoughts. She could see the fragments of his memories—all the different pieces of his life—floating around them. It was dark—so dark—and she began to tremble at the sudden feelings of longing and loneliness that possessed her.

 _Higurashi._ She turned, and there he was, beside her, glowing a faint red and gold, his golden eyes blazing, lights in the dark.

 _Inuyasha_ , she whispered, and she felt the tears threatening to fall. Was this how he felt, every hour of every day?

She felt him chuckle beside her. _Not every day,_ he said, taking her hand, _and not nearly as much since I met you._

 _Inuyasha_ , she whispered again, and he pressed a finger to her lips.

 _Not here_ , he said, and turned his gaze out into the void.

 _Help me, Higurashi,_ he added suddenly, squeezing her hand. _Help me remember._

Kagome remembered why they were there, and nodded, squeezing his hand in return. She closed her eyes, and filled her mind with memories of the night before. She felt Inuyasha chuckle beside her.

 _That good, huh?_ He said to her. _Because right now you smell…_

 _Let’s worry about helping you remember first, dog boy,_ she shot back. _Then you can remember exactly how fucking amazing it was for yourself._

 _Higurashi…_ His voice was no more than a whisper.

 _Now be quiet and let me work,_ she told him impishly. She turned her attention back to her own memories, then sent out a pulsing beacon of reiki into the void, calling his youki forth. She could feel it, bounding up to meet her; it had taken the form of a large and beautiful Akita, glowing red and full of love for her: its mate, its soul’s true partner. She smiled as the Akita leapt on her and began licking her face with glee. She giggled, squatted down, and teased its ears playfully; it barked and gave her cheek one long, luscious puppy lick. Kagome laughed and buried her hands in its fluffy, vibrant, glowing fur, bringing Inuyasha along as she invited his youki in. 

[ ](https://nartista-digital.tumblr.com/post/635464473735495680/youki-kisses-a-commission-of-a-very-adorable-and)

Commissioned Artwork by [nartista](https://nartista-digital.tumblr.com/)

* * *

_Let it in, Inuyasha,_ she told him, closing her eyes in happiness. _It’s SO beautiful._ And it was; she was near tears again from how his youki was now curling around her, wrapping her up in its soft and warm fur, so fully and so completely.

She felt Inuyasha grow impossibly still beside her; she dared to open her eyes and she saw him there, his silver hair swaying gently in an unseen breeze, his countenance open and calm and oddly serene. Kagome saw his youki stretch its beautiful, questioning face towards him, its golden eyes glimmering against its glowing, red fur; she felt his soul opening up, inviting it in, accepting it once again. 

The moment when Inuyasha’s reiki accepted his youki slammed into him fiercely; he couldn’t quite describe the feeling of what was happening, but it was almost like the two parts of his soul—the inu and the human—were fusing back together, finding a balance that they hadn’t previously known. For days his youki and reiki had been battling for dominance; what he’d really needed, though, was for them to find a way to coexist peacefully. Kagome’s own reiki had been the key; he’d needed a guide to lead him back together—back to being whole—and Kagome was the lighthouse on the dark stormy sea of his soul. She shone so brightly his youki couldn’t help but be attracted to her, and his reiki couldn’t help but want to be wrapped up within her. She was so warm, so gentle, and loving...of _both_ sides of him.

And that was when he realized: she didn’t love the reiki side of him more, or vice versa.

No. She loved _all_ of him, as he was, and as he was going to be: there, now, and tomorrow, and a hundred years from now.

Nothing had changed for her. So why should it for him?

Inuyasha let out a loud groan and dropped to his knees, gripping his head tightly as the memories of their mating flooded his mind. He felt it _all_ : the soft, moist heat of her sex; the hardness of his cock as they fucked; her tiny, pointed teeth as they ripped his flesh; the way that her reiki rolled through him like a massive wave; his jaws locking around her shoulder as he bit down; his youki and his reiki filling the bite as he made her his.

Kagome felt a tug behind her navel, and was suddenly whipped backwards so fast she had no time to get nauseated from the jolt. She blinked, and they were back on the futon, Inuyasha’s face still buried in his hands.

When he at last looked up, his face was shining and glorious.

 _I remember,_ he said in a choked voice. _Holy fuck, Higurashi; I remember it all._ He paused.

_And I want to feel it all again. And again. And again._

Inuyasha tackled her to the futon, his mouth fixed around her bite, sucking reverently on her mark, lapping up the soft, pulsing skin as Kagome came undone underneath him, helpless against, and eager for, the will of his love.

Of _their_ love.

* * *

The sharp tone of the doorbell rocketed Inuyasha back into wakefulness. He let out a growl, but felt the warm tug of Kagome’s reiki, relaxing him, drawing him back to calmness.

“Just go see who it is,” she mumbled, “and tell them we don’t want any.”

Inuyasha chuckled and pried himself loose from the vise grip she had around his middle. They’d just spent the whole morning reaffirming their bond, and apparently she was as unwilling to let the day progress as he. Inuyasha saw his favorite jeans on the floor; he went to tug them on, then realized with a grunt that he’d torn them up the night before in his Kagome-filled stupor. Irritated, he tossed them aside and went to the closet, pulling a pair of sweats from the top drawer of the built-in. The doorbell buzzed again: two short, sharp, staccato tones this time.

“All fucking _right_!” He bellowed, and crashed down the hallway to the genkan, where he wrenched open the door; his mouth fell open when he saw who it was.

“Just fucking _great_ ,” he groaned. “What the _fuck_ do you want?”

“Is this any way to greet your brother, Inuyasha?” Sesshomaru slid past him into the genkan, where he slipped off his shoes and looked around the apartment disapprovingly. 

“Is this any way to show up at your brother’s house, _unannounced_?” Inuyasha had gone from sweet snuggles with Kagome to... _this_?

“This one did text you, little brother,” said Sesshomaru, still looking at his brother disdainfully, “had you deigned to check your phone.”

“I—I—”  
_Shit._

“Okay,” Inuyasha said, folding his arms across his chest and learning against the kitchen counter, “so why are you here, exactly?”

Sesshomaru glared at him. “What has gone on in this house, little brother?” His eyes settled on Inuyasha’s shoulder. “And what is _that_?”

Inuyasha reached up and rubbed his mark self-consciously. “What the fuck do you think it is?” he shot back.

“So she marked you.” It wasn’t a question; Sesshomaru sounded almost...thoughtful?

“She most certainly fucking did.” 

_Language, Inuyasha_. 

_Fuck_.

 _Higurashi_ , he said. _My asshole brother’s here. You...might want to take a shower._

 _A shower_? He could almost see the adorable confusion on her face.

 _Yeah..._ he said slowly. _He...he knows_.

Even in the yoshitsu, he could hear Kagome shoot up and tumble out of bed. She rattled around in the bedroom for a few minutes, then he heard the pocket door to the bedroom slide open. His eyes drifted down the hallway, where he saw her stumbling from the bedroom to the bathroom. The door to the bathroom opened, she rolled in, then slammed it shut. Almost immediately the shower started.

Inuyasha turned his gaze back to his brother’s, a satisfied smirk flirting with his lips. 

“This one is not impressed, little brother,” Sesshomaru said simply. “But...it is good that you two have decided to mate.”

“You fucking think so, huh?” Inuyasha’s fangs dipped below his lower lip: half menacing, half amused.

“Perhaps we should sit,” Sesshomaru said, “while we wait for your miko to finish erasing your stink from her body.”

“Now hold on just a minute, you goddamn…”

“Just take a seat, Inuyasha,” Sesshomaru said over him. “There is much for us to discuss, and not a lot of time.”

Inuyasha pulled his phone out of his sweats and looked at the time. “The monk said he was coming by today to train us at some point, anyway.” Instead of obeying his brother, he went into the kitchen. “Tea?” he asked, filling the electric kettle.

“This Sesshomaru has no need of human food or drink,” Sesshomaru replied.

“Keh,” said Inuyasha, “that’s a fucking lie and we both know it.” He put the kettle on, then busied himself about the kitchen, making breakfast for Kagome...and his asshole brother, if Sesshomaru could bear to lower himself to eat human food.

A plaintive meow resounded in the kitchen, and Inuyasha bent down. “Good morning, Buyo,” he purred, picking up the cat and rubbing his fur fondly. “I know we kicked you out last night, but trust me, you wouldn’t have wanted to be around.” 

“A _cat_ , little brother?” Inuyasha didn’t think Sesshomaru could sound more disgusted than when he was forced to say Inuyasha’s name—apparently, when it came to cats, he could.

“Kagome’s,” said Inuyasha, tweaking Buyo’s ears gently, “and...I guess...mine, too.”

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes, but settled himself on one of the bar stool on the other side of the kitchen counter. He watched as Inuyasha set the cat down and retrieved Buyo’s water and food bowls. Inuyasha washed them out carefully, then filled the water bowl and set it on the counter. He looked through his cabinets, retrieved wet and dry cat food, and filled Buyo’s bowl. He then took both bowls back to the chabudai and set them beside the low table. Buyo followed him, still meowing, and then as soon as Inuyasha set the bowls down, the cat dug in. Inuyasha went back to the kitchen and resumed his breakfast-making, removing some salmon from the refrigerator and slicing it up for the grill.

“Now,” he said, slapping the pieces of salmon on the grill and glaring at his brother over his shoulder, “supposed you tell me why you’re here.”

“I’d like to know that too,” said a familiar female voice; Inuyasha and Sesshomaru both looked up to see Kagome padding down the hall, still towel-drying her hair. She went into the kitchen and stood close to Inuyasha as he worked at the griddle. He slipped an arm around her and kissed the top of her head affectionately; she snuggled deeply into his side. 

_Your brother’s here_ , she said. _Why?_

He chuckled. _I’m trying to figure that out, Higurashi_ , he told her. _Now either go have a seat or make yourself useful_.

She reached up and pecked him on the cheek; he blushed under her display of affection in front of his brother. _I’ll help_ , she said. _What can I do?_

“You can go and see if we have any rice left in the rice cooker,” he said. “I forgot to dig it out yesterday, and I bet it’s hard as a rock.”

 _I know something else that’s as hard as a rock_ , she said, smirking.

Inuyasha slapped her ass playfully. “Go. Rice cooker,” he replied. “Or get out of my kitchen.”

“Okay!” she exclaimed, dancing away from him. He laughed. 

Fuck, he felt good.

Then his eyes settled on Sesshomaru, who was frowning endlessly at him.

Okay...maybe not so good.

Kagome stirred the rice in the cooker and scooped it out into a plastic container. She then removed the bowl from the cooker and brought it to the sink, where she filled it with water and let it sit. She padded back to Inuyasha’s side and looked up at him expectantly. 

_Are ya gonna heat up the rice, Higurashi?_

Kagome purred. _Only if you’re gonna heat me up later._

He let out a growl that grabbed his brother’s attention. _Dammit, woman!_ He hissed, trying to tamp down his arousal. _Do you know what you are doing to me? In front of Sesshomaru_?

She giggled. _Maybe_.

He smacked her ass a second time and now she laughed loudly. She trotted back over to the rice, put a few drops of water in the container, placed a lid delicately on top, then put the rice in the microwave to heat up. She then went to the refrigerator and got out some tsukemono and some leftover miso soup. The tsukemono she set on the counter; she got out a pot and poured the soup into it. She handed the pot to Inuyasha, then proceeded to rummage through his cabinets for chopsticks, spoons, plates, and bowls.

Sesshomaru watched this entire exchange with interest. It was like watching half a conversation; he was only getting their physical responses—laughs, growls, and kisses—and he had to admit: he was _fascinated_. He had never seen his brother so at ease, so relaxed, so not...a surly asshole. Sesshomaru could see their auras intertwining casually, as though it were something they had been doing all their lives. Kagome’s was bright pink and bubbly; Inuyasha’s was the vibrant red of his youki, but the sharp gold criss-crosses of reiki danced across it...almost happy? It was a far cry from where his reiki and youki had been just a few days ago at the hospital, when they were dark, and spiking, and battling each other for control. He had never seen anything like it. He had never seen anything like...his brother.

And now, Sesshomaru watched his brother and the miko together, laughing, speaking in a mix of verbal and telepathic dialogue, their signatures playing together so easily, and he realized how important Kagome was to Inuyasha. And how important Inuyasha was: to Kagome, to him (yes, he could admit that), and perhaps even...to the world.

Inuyasha caught Sesshomaru watching him and looked over his shoulder while he flipped the salmon.

“What’re you looking at, onii-san?” he growled, the salmon sizzling in the pan as he turned it over. 

“A remarkable change in you, little brother,” Sesshomaru commented, crossing his arms and continuing his observation.

Inuyasha snorted. “What the fuck ever.” He put the soup on the other burner and turned it on. Kagome took the rice out of the microwave and set it on the counter, then brought him plates and bowls as well. She circled back behind him and leaned on the kitchen counter, across from where Sesshomaru was sitting. Her eyes narrowed.

“Why are you here, Matsushita-sama?” she asked. Her steely eyes raked over his form; her own body began to glow softly—bright pink.

“This one has come to speak to his brother—and to you, miko—about next steps in apprehending Tsubasa Tsubaki,” Sesshomaru answered.

Now _that_ got both their attention. “Tsubasa Tsubaki!” exclaimed Inuyasha, slapping the salmon onto a platter and turning off the heat under the soup. “The NPA hasn’t caught her yet?” He frowned. “I need to get back there. Those assholes are no good without me.”

“Hush,” said Kagome, turning to lay her hand on her soulmate’s arm. “You needed your rest, too, you know. It’s been a bad couple of days...for both of us.” 

Inuyasha caught the sadness that tinged her voice and covered her hand with his. “It’s a lot fucking better now, don’t you think?” he asked her softly.

 _Inuyasha_ , she said, closing her eyes and standing on tiptoe.

He chuckled and kissed the tip of her nose. _Not in front of my brother, Higurashi_ , he said. _He can scent your arousal a kilometer away_.

Kagome squeaked and busied herself plating up the food. “Chabudai?” she asked. He nodded, and she silently carried the trays of food into the yoshitsu and set them down on the chabudai. Inuyasha carried a tray of tea, and Sesshomaru rose to follow them, watching as Kagome’s reiki buzzed about her, radiating several centimeters off her skin. He saw that it was keeping a close watch on Inuyasha; her reiki was on high alert, reaching out for him anytime his aura seemed to destabilize, bringing him back to balance. The three of them settled down at the low table, a strange family unit.

“Itadakimasu,” Inuyasha and Kagome chorused, and dug into their meals. Sesshomaru watched and did not eat, although he did accept a cup of tea from Inuyasha. He held it between his hands and watched them devour their food with gusto. _Stupid humans_ , he thought gamely.

“While you eat, this Sesshomaru will talk,” he commented. “Does that meet well with your expectations.”

“Just fucking spit it out, Sess,” said Inuyasha, who was now holding his bowl of miso soup in both hands and sucking it down. Fuck, why was he so _hungry?_

Sesshomaru shot his brother a look of disgust, but chose to ignore Inuyasha’s actions. “I believe that Totosai and Murasaki will have more information,” he said, “but this Sesshomaru has someone watching the Spiritualist Society, and is therefore in an excellent position to fill you both in on the manhunt for Tsubasa Tsubaki.” He paused to take a sip of his tea; Kagome noted with interest how suddenly delicate and regal the daiyoukai seemed. 

“After Moriyama and Murasaki found the empty vials, and Moriyama confirmed the scent was indeed Tsubasa’s, the NPA started a manhunt and put out an all-point bulletin on Tsubasa,” he began. “The NPA has thus far been unable to locate her whereabouts or get a lead on her.”

Inuyasha snorted and muttered something under his breath that sounded like, “fucking idiots.”

“So the NPA has called on the youkai lords to assist in the search,” Sesshomaru continued, once again ignoring his brother, “and Moriyama and this one are calling a council meeting this evening to discuss options for bringing Tsubasa Tsubaki to justice. The Spiritual Society President attacked a youkai lord when she went after Moriyama. Thus, the Society and the youkai lords are no longer allies. We need to discuss next steps.” He turned suddenly and looked at Kagome. “What are your plans, miko?”

“Me?” _Fuck_ , was that a squeak in front of the Lord of the West? _Fuck_.

“You.” Sesshomaru’s eyes were flinty, but had a touch of softness Inuyasha could _never_ remember seeing in them before. “You and this one’s brother are...not known for your tact.” Inuyasha let out a growl, but Sesshomaru ignored him. “Do you plan to go back to the Spiritualist Society? Do you plan to go after Tsubasa on your own?” His eyes narrowed. “This one would recommend against both options, actually. Inuyasha’s reiki is still…” he was going to say _unstable_ , but he suddenly realized that it _was not_ , and that the way that it was interacting with Kagome’s reiki, suggested that he was, in fact, _quite_ balanced. “His reiki is still untrained,” Sesshomaru settled on at last. “He needs time to learn to protect himself, and to disguise his reiki.”

“Because a hanyou with reiki has basically never been seen before,” Kagome interjected.

Sesshomaru nodded. “To this one’s knowledge, that is correct,” he said carefully. 

The table was silent for a moment; each was considering the significance of Inuyasha’s reiki, and the conclusion for each was the same.

A hanyou with reiki had never been seen before (to their knowledge). He was the first of his kind (to their knowledge). Thus, there would be those who would be _very_ interested in him, his youki, _and_ his reiki. Kagome and Sesshomaru exchanged a glance: hardened gold met blazing steel, and they silently agreed: 

Inuyasha was _theirs_ to protect. 

“Higurashi-san,” Sesshomaru said firmly, and Kagome came back to herself. “With Tsubasa’s disappearance, word is that the Society is in complete disarray. This Sesshomaru’s spy will give a report at tonight’s council meeting; Murasaki Miroku has also been meeting the board members at Totosai’s request, and will be in attendance tonight, as well.” He paused. “Join with us, Higurashi-san; help us catch Tsubasa. What say you?”

Kagome froze and looked across the chabudai at Inuyasha. He shrugged his shoulders.

_Whatever you want to do, Higurashi, I’ll support it._

Kagome smiled softly. _THANK YOU_.

She looked back to Sesshomaru. “Let me talk to Miroku,” she said, “and maybe make some phone calls to people I trust. I need to know what’s going on there. But at the very least: yes. Count me in tonight.” She held the Lord of the West’s gaze for a long moment; she refused to be the first to cave. Inuyasha’s youki and reiki gently reached around the table and wrapped Kagome up in its red-gold blanket; she smiled and reached up to caress it, as though it were a mokomoko offering her protection. Inuyasha shivered when she touched it; Sesshomaru saw all this, and his always calm mind began to slightly reel.

“Matsushita-sama,” said Kagome suddenly, turning to Sesshomaru, her hand still buried in Inuyasha’s aura. His golden eyes beamed back at her evenly. “What do you know of Tsubaki-sama’s plans?”

“What do _you_ know about her plans, Higurashi?” Sesshomaru replied simply.

“Not much,” she admitted. “I know that she went to Tsuji Onigumo because she wanted to steal the reiki from soulmated mikos. Unfortunately, Kikyo-sama was the only one soulmated, and after they stole her reiki, they turned to unmated mikos. Something was different though, I guess in their reiki signatures? Anyway,” she continued, “the unmated mikos kept dying when their reiki was fully taken. Ito Naomi and Yamamoto Sara only survived because they still had some reiki left.” She frowned. “What do you think was in those vials that Tsubaki-sama stole, Matsushita-sama? What would she have taken?”

“What is your guess, Higurashi-san?” Sesshomaru asked her gently.

Kagome paused. 

“Tsubaki-sama came to see me the day after Inuyasha and I...after we consummated our connection,” Kagome said slowly. “She was...insistent...that I give up my position as head of the school, retire, and marry Inuyasha. When I resisted, she became angry. If Inuyasha hadn’t shown up when he did…” she trailed off. What _would_ have happened that day, if Inuyasha _hadn’t_ shown up? She pushed that thought out of her head; better not to dwell on things that would never be.

“Kikyo said that soulmated mikos are a threat to the order established by the Spiritualist Society,” Inuyasha broke in. “She said that she went to Tsubasa’s to discuss her research, drank some tea, passed out, and woke up with a scar right here.” He traced the spot, just below his collarbone—the same spot where Kagome’d had her own chip removed, just a few days ago. 

“And no reiki,” Kagome said.

“No reiki,” Inuyasha agreed, his own aura flaring in response. Sesshomaru frowned. The gold in his brother’s aura was so like his mother’s, he felt himself drifting back through time, when Izayoi’s power grew, and then how, when she became pregnant, it seemed to fade away to nothing, with no explanation. He frowned harder. There had to be a connection, between what happened to Izayoi all those years ago, and what was happening to the mikos now. He could feel it; his instincts were going haywire. Had the Society been taking the reiki of soulmated mikos for that many years?

“Okay,” Kagome said, drawing Sesshomaru’s attention. “Okay.” She thought hard. “So those vials had to have reiki in them, right? And that means that Tsubaski-sama and the Spiritualist Society are stealing the power of soulmated mikos, but why? To keep them under control?”

Inuyasha nodded. “That’s what Kikyo thinks. And I agree with her.”

Kagome frowned. “I don’t understand, though. If the Spiritualist Society is stealing the power of soulmated mikos...then…” her face paled.

“Then maybe they’ve been doing it all along,” Inuyasha finished. He looked at Sesshomaru. “What do you think?”

“That is precisely what this Sesshomaru suspects,” Sesshomaru admitted, thinking again of Izayoi. “Nakaya-sama’s story confirms our suspicions. And now, miko, little brother…” he looked hard at both of them. “This Sesshomaru is here to ask you both to come to the youkai lords’ meeting tonight. We no longer trust the Spiritualist Society, Higurashi-san. We no longer trust that they are working on our best interests—youkai, human, or—” he paused and looked at his brother “—hanyou.” He turned to Kagome. “We want you to help us find, and eliminate, Tsubasa Tsubaki.”

Kagome’s face was hard and fierce. She thought about her friends, who’d had their reiki stolen from them; she thought about the mikos who’d died; she thought about the hundreds—maybe even the thousands—of mikos that the Society might have been hurting over the years. And she felt a small rage ignite, deep in her belly. The more she thought about the harm the Society had wrought, the brighter the newly-kindled rage burned. She looked over at Inuyasha; she didn’t need to reach out telepathically to know his response. He nodded, once, his amber eyes blazing at her, and fueling the flames of her rage even further. 

“All right,” she told Sesshomaru, “all right. Let’s do it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did we learn about Sesshomaru in this chapter? Telepathy pisses him off, but apparently...so do cats 🤣
> 
> Kagome has agreed to help Sesshomaru and the Youkai Council take down Tsubaki. So you know what is coming next: a trip to the council! Will Kagome intimidate everyone there with her reiki? Will Inuyasha manage to _not_ be an ass for five minutes? Find out this, and more, in the next update, which will be back to our regular Sundays! See you soon, everyone, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter (and nartista's amazing artwork)! As always, thanks for reading 💖


	37. Impatience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha and Kagome attend the Youkai Council meeting, where they have very different ideas about how to go after Tsubaki. Sesshomaru pushes; Inuyasha does something he probably shouldn't. Kagome is pissed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you're safe and well.
> 
> Welcome to the next chapter of Spirited Soulmates! Inuyasha and Kagome attend the Youkai Council, where Sesshomaru makes a surprising reveal, Kagome gets Hulk-angry, and Inuyasha does something stupid (of course). Please enjoy!

The youkai council was held at Matsushita Technologies after hours; it was way past dark when Inuyasha and Kagome arrived. Inuyasha used a key card to gain access to the building; when Kagome looked at him incredulously, he shrugged.

 _So I never got rid of my access card_ , he told her. _Sue me. It’s still half my fucking company_.

Kagome’s gasp made him chuckle.

_Does it surprise you that you’re soulmated to a multimillionaire, Higurashi?_

She frowned and reached up to tweak his ear.

 _We’ll talk about this later…Matsushita_.

He offered her a fanged grin and took her hand.

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s check in.” He tugged her along after him to the front desk, where the bored ookami administrative assistant was sitting, filing her nails.

“Ah, Ayame-san,” he said, leaning over and offering her yet another resplendent fanged grin, “it’s good to see you again.”

“Whatever, Matsushita-san,” she said lazily, dragging the file over her nails and making Kagome wince. Inuyasha shot Ayame a dark look, but she merely ignored him and continued to file her nails.

“Remind your brother,” she said as Inuyasha and Kagome made their way over to the elevator, “that he’s paying me double-time to be here.”

Inuyasha snorted and dragged Kagome over to the elevator doors. He pressed the button, and while they waited, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close.

“Remember that whatever happens in there, Higurashi,” he whispered roughly, “I love you, I love you.”

Kagome lifted her face for a kiss. “I know,” she replied, sighing a little when they broke apart. “I love you, too.” She frowned. “Do we tell people about...?”

“I don’t know,” he told her honestly. _My asshole brother may have told the whole fucking world already_.

Kagome rolled her eyes. _I doubt he would do that, Inuyasha. He wants to protect you, just as much as I do._ She chastised him gently, and he scoffed, but his face softened.

The doors pinged and opened, and Inuyasha and Kagome walked inside, Inuyasha’s arms still wrapped protectively around his mate. When the doors closed, he tilted her head back for another kiss, both of them delighting in the electricity that crackled in the air around them. Kagome could feel Inuyasha’s reiki firing up as his desire for her spiked, and she immediately released a bit of her own reiki. Pink met gold and surrounded it with a soft and gentle caress, and Inuyasha visibly calmed as his reiki did the same.

“So,” Kagome said huskily as they rode the elevator to the top floor of the building, “do you know what’s going to happen at the council?”

Inuyasha snorted. “Fuck if I know,” he told her. “I haven’t even _been_ to one of these meetings in over a hundred years, much less participated or had any kind of say. Sess will probably hold court over everyone else, there will be a bunch of fighting, because youkai love to fucking fight, and then Sess will do what he wants, anyway.”

“Which would be what?” Kagome asked as the doors opened and they stepped out. The overwhelming power of the youki in the area immediately hit her hard, and she stumbled, Inuyasha reaching out to hold her up as the youki sought to bear down on her own spiritual powers.

 _Hold tight, Higurashi_ , Inuyasha urged her, his golden eyes lighting up with worry. _It’s just all the youki in the conference room seeping out._

Kagome looked up at him and smiled. _I’m okay_ , she replied. _I just need a minute to adjust. I’ll figure it out_.

He grinned at her and tucked her into his side, enjoying the warm hum of his youki as it thrilled over having her so close by, as well as the sparking of his reiki, which was curling around Kagome’s reiki and intertwining with it. Kagome let out a small sigh of satisfaction at the feel of their auras intertwining; she was _so glad_ that she had made the decision to mate him. She knew now that she loved him, more than anything, and she never wanted them to be apart, ever.

And as his mate, tonight, in this council meeting, it was her job to defend him, if she needed to. And she would do that...to the end.

Inuyasha led Kagome down the hall to the conference room that Inuyasha knew Sesshomaru used exclusively for youkai council meetings. Before they went into the room, Inuyasha held Kagome back with a hand.

“You know that Sess will be there,” he told her quietly, “and Kouga. Kagura will be there, too, as the Lady of the West and as an elemental youkai. Totosai will be here, and the Murasakis. The panther tribe will also send a representative, probably Toran, the bitch, and then the monkey tribe will send their representative, Sarugami, (monkeys are stupid assholes, by the way). You’ll also see a few others—I have no idea who else my bastard half-brother would have invited. There will be a lot of youkai energy in the room, and it might get even more overwhelming for you with your reiki, but I’ll be next to you, every step of the way.” He grinned and flashed both his youki and his reiki at her, his golden eyes sparkling.

“Keh,” Kagome said, “I think it’s: _I’ll_ be next to _you_ , every step of the way.”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, then held out his left arm for her to take it so they could enter the room together. _Fine_ , he told her, his fangs poking out below his lower lip in his glee. _I’ll be next to you, every step of the way_.

Kagome huffed. _That’s right, dog boy_ , she said, _and don’t you forget it._ Inuyasha chuckled and reached up with his other hand to squeeze hers, tucked in the crook of his arm.

Inuyasha didn’t realize it, but before he opened the door, Kagome threw up her reiki, effectively creating a barrier and shrouding Inuyasha’s own reiki. She prayed to all the gods that she was able to do it subtly enough that the youkai in the room (and Miroku) wouldn’t notice, but more importantly, that Inuyasha also wouldn’t notice. He didn’t say anything as he pushed the door open and led her inside, and Kagome inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

When they entered the room, Kagome let out a low gasp. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

Inuyasha might not think much of the space, but to Kagome, the room was… _huge_. A massive wall of windows gave a spectacular view of the city. Kagome wanted to run to the windows and look down, but she knew that there wasn’t a chance in hell she was leaving Inuyasha’s side. Instead, she chose to look slowly around, and her eyes grew wide at everyone she saw.

Sesshomaru was sitting at the head of a large, round table, a laptop to his right and a stack of papers to his left. He looked, as per usual, interminably bored. Kagura sat to his immediate right, a tablet in her hands, her eyes lighting up when she saw Inuyasha and Kagome enter the room. She waved to them, but stilled when Sesshomaru’s hand rested lightly, but firmly, on her arm.

To Sesshomaru’s left was Totosai, also looking quite bored and irritated, as per usual. He was reading over some notes on a notepad, tiny half-frame wired glasses sitting perched on the end of his nose. Kagome’s eyes continued around the table, where she saw Miroku, Sango, and Kouga, and then youkai she knew from the treaty negotiations: Tsukiyomaru, the head of the bat youkai; Hosenki, who had been one of the leads on the treaty design, and Ginta and Hakkaku, Kouga’s betas who often served him in an advisory role. There were then two youkai Kagome didn’t recognize, but who she figured must be the panther youkai Toran, and the monkey youkai Sarugami. They hadn’t been at the Human-Youkai Treaty meetings, so she assumed they must be new representatives on the council.

 _Toran recently took over as Lord of the East,_ Inuyasha told her, _and Sarugami never bothers himself with human issues. That he’s even here is…fuck it all, Higurashi, I’m stunned. This must be a pretty big fucking deal_.

“Little brother,” said Sesshomaru shortly, and Inuyasha immediately realized that his brother knew that he and Kagome were communicating telepathically. He scowled at Sesshomaru, who simply gazed back at Inuyasha, nonplussed.

“Sit at the end of the table, if you please.” Sesshomaru waved a hand lazily towards the end of the table. Inuyasha tugged Kagome along past the table, Kouga growling softly, Sango and Miroku shooting their friends a warm, but sympathetic, glance. The other youkai at the table watched Inuyasha and Kagome with interest; Inuyasha knew that every single one of them could see how close his aura was intertwined with Kagome’s, indicating not just their matehood, but the depths of their mating. Inuyasha let out a low growl and tugged Kagome closer to him.

 _Gods, Inuyasha_ , Kagome hissed, _way to be so possessive in a room full of youkai_.

 _Keh_ , was the only response she got out of him, and she let out a little smile.

Inuyasha tugged a chair out from under the table and helped Kagome into the seat; she didn’t need it, but she totally understood his desire to show his role in the relationship. He was the youkai; he felt tremendous pressure to let everyone know he was in charge.

Even if it wasn’t true.

But she wouldn’t tell him that.

Instead, she sat down, flashed him a warm smile, and waited for him to sit beside her.

“Now that we’re all here,” commented Sesshomaru, looking at Inuyasha and Kagome (and Inuyasha just _knew_ that “look” was actually a “scowl” directed at _him_ ), “let’s bring the council meeting to order.” And he pulled his laptop close and began to read from a document.

“We now have confirmation that Tsubasa Tsubaki and the Spiritualist Society have been taking spiritualist powers from mikos, and that while they were looking specifically for soulmated mikos, they began draining the reiki from unsoulmated mikos as well. The suspected reason for Tsubasa being interested in soulmated mikos is that they hold exponentially more power than unsoulmated mikos, making them a veritable goldmine for the stealing and storing of reiki. We also know, thanks to the work of Moriyama-sama and Murasaki-san, that the reiki was being stored at Naraku Industries, which was also the headquarters of these experiments, and was being overseen by the late Tsuji Onigumo, who was killed by this one’s brother and Higurashi-sama in the recent successful attempt to rescue the kidnapped mikos. Moriyama-sama confirmed that Tsubasa Tsubaki’s scent was surrounding the freezer from which the reiki was stolen, and we believe that she has since taken the stolen reiki and disappeared. The NPA, under Totosai-san’s careful direction, has been unable to locate her whereabouts—” (Inuyasha growled loudly at this, and the entire table turned to look at him; his brother in particular frowned at him) “—and thus has decided to turn to the youkai council for help. Totosai-san, would you care to elaborate?” Sesshomaru turned to Totosai, who pushed up his glasses and began to read from his notes.

“We know that the-late Tsuji Onigumo and Tsubasa Tsubaki were working together to collect mikos and take their reiki. We also know from Higurashi-sama that the miko’s bodies were being replaced with jyaki, which we believe is part of what caused the depletion in the body composition. Higurashi-sama has also confirmed with Sesshomaru-sama and myself that her reiki was being taken from a spot on the body called the triple warmer meridian, which…” Totosai looked up. “Higurashi-sama, would you please?”

Kagome cleared her throat. “The triple warmer meridian is a spot on the body in Chinese medicine that activates your fight-or-flight impulse. When the laser shot into that spot on the meridian, I could feel myself going into a panic and my reiki flared out in order to protect me. The laser was designed, I believe, to harness my reiki and take it from my body. But when Matsushita-san—when Inuyasha—arrived, I was able to fight back.”

“Don’t be modest, Higurashi,” said Inuyasha gruffly. “You took down two fucking rooms in basically one shot.”

The silence around the room, from people who hadn’t been there, was deafening. Miroku’s face twisted through several emotions, and Kagome saw Sango take her husband’s hand and squeeze it softly.

“In your opinion, then, Higurashi-sama,” continued Totosai, “do you believe that the experiment would have been a success on you, had it come to full fruition?”

“I felt like I was going to die,” Kagome shot back, not listening to Inuyasha’s gentle probing of her mind as he tried to calm her down. “I felt like that was the end, and I was prepared to ask for reincarnation so I could be close to Inuyasha again.” She paused, and felt him surrounding her with his youki and reiki. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, grounding herself in his warmth. When she felt sufficiently controlled, she opened her eyes, and looked right at Sesshomaru.

“Please, Sesshomaru-sama,” she continued, looking hard at her soulmate’s brother, “we _need_ to find Tsubaki-sama. We _need_ to make sure she can’t do this to anyone else. And we _need_ to do it quickly. So,” she added before he could protest, “tell me. How can I help?”

“Now, hold on a minute, Higurashi,” Inuyasha said angrily, “ _You_ aren’t going to be doing a goddamned thing here.”

“If I may continue, _Matsushita_ ,” growled Totosai, shooting a scathing look at his subordinate, who immediately leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, but scowled right back, “I would like to say more about the proposed alliance between the NPA and the youkai council, if that is all right you?”

Inuyasha let out a soft snarl right back at Totosai, but remained quiet. Totosai looked back at his notes.

“Right,” he continued. “Sesshomaru-sama and I have decided that it would be prudent to create an allyship for the purposes of capturing Tsubasa Tsubaki. She is a danger to others, and must be brought down quickly, with force if necessary. I have asked Murasaki and her husband to give us a report on what the Spiritualist Society has been up to in the past several days, since Tsubasa-sama disappeared. Murasaki?” Totosai turned to Sango.

Sango cleared her throat and looked at Miroku. He gave her a gentle nod. “Miroku has been in touch with his contacts at the Spiritualist Society,” she began, “and he has learned that the Society is in complete disarray now that Tsubasa has left. She was apparently overseeing all of the day-to-day operations, as well as many of the policy issues that the Society had been grappling with since the passing of the Human-Youkai Treaty. Without her there, no one knows which way is up and the spiritualists are struggling to ground themselves. Miroku,” she continued, gesturing to her husband, “do you want to add anything?”

“Yes,” Miroku said flatly. “The Spiritualist Society is completely useless. It took me forever to get anyone to return my calls, and I finally had to reach out and talk to people I know personally. I wanted to get an official statement first, but they seem to have absolutely no idea what’s going on. Every single person I talked to had a different idea. No one knew where Tsubaki-sama had gone, and no one knew she was behind the stealing of the reiki. So they claimed, anyway.” He looked around the room, and his eyes settled on Kagome. “They are in need of new leadership, Kagome. What do you think?”

“I think not a fucking chance in hell,” she spat. “After what those bastards did to _me_? And to my friends? To Kikyo-sama?”

“And possibly, Higurashi-sama,” mused Sesshomaru, “to mikos who were born hundreds of years before you.”

“What—what do you mean, Sesshomaru?” demanded Inuyasha, a deep, dark feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. He felt strangely ill, and Kagome’s soft hand wrapped around his did little to offer him support. She paled when she felt his discomfort radiating through his aura and reiki.

“It—it is entirely possible,” Sesshomaru said slowly, “that the Spiritualist Society has been stealing the reiki of soulmated mikos for a very, very long time.”

“Anata,” Kagura whispered, “are you sure this is the best place to bring this up?”

“Quite,” Sesshomaru assured her. “There are people here, in this room, who will be able to confirm what this one is about to say. Totosai,” he said, looking at the NPA director, “what can you tell us about Inuyasha’s mother and her spiritualist powers?”

Totosai blanched slightly; Inuyasha’s face darkened, then paled, and he clutched at Kagome’s arm. “Not much, unfortunately, Sesshomaru-sama,” Totosai said. “I can tell you that when Toga-sama met Izayoi-sama, she was a miko of moderate power. Not overly strong, but definitely with some level of power. However, after she and Toga-sama…they didn’t become mates, mind you, in the youkai sense, but they were mates in the spiritual sense…something changed about her. She seemed to lose all her powers. She had been able to do some low-level healing, if I remember correctly, but I also believe that her family was against her refining her spiritualist powers, and thus they remained weak and untrained. I also…” he paused.

“Go ahead, Totosai-san,” Sesshomaru said gently. “Tell us what you remember.”

“Her aura…it shifted,” Totosai replied. “From a gold to almost a light brown. It lost its luster; it lost its glow. It was no longer the aura of a miko. It was the aura of a…of a…”

“Of an ordinary human,” Sesshomaru finished. Totosai nodded, his face uncharacteristically pale. “Then,” Sesshomaru added, “it is confirmed. My memory and Totosai-san’s match. The Spiritualist Society has been stealing reiki from soulmated mikos going back at least to Inuyasha’s mother, and this one suspects before that.”

“But _why_ ?” Kagome burst out, unable to keep quiet any longer. That, and the look on Inuyasha’s face was seriously making her want to go after Sesshomaru and purify the shit out of him. Because, _how dare he air Inuyasha’s dirty laundry in front of the youkai council_.

_How fucking dare he._

Kagome could feel the rage building up inside. Inuyasha was sitting beside her, his head in his hands, his face hauntingly pale, his aura growing dark with despair. His youki, which she had worked so hard to bring into balance with his reiki, was ballooning out, a deep and dark maroon, overpowering his reiki and the other youki in the room.

Kagome seethed. How _dare_ Sesshomaru bring this up now. How _dare_ he make his own brother feel like shit in front of so many people, including his friends and his superior officer. How _dare_ he.

“Kagome,” came a low voice from her right. She blinked, and slowly, Kouga came into focus, at her side, his face lined with worry. He was crouched beside her, his hand resting on her shoulder. “Are…are you okay?” he asked her. “You…you were _growling_.” _Like you were an inu youkai_ , was the unspoken part of his sentence, but they both knew what he wanted to say.

Kagome nodded. “I’m okay, Kouga,” she said softly, her eyes shifting between him and Inuyasha. “I’m sorry. I just…” she whipped her head around to Sesshomaru. “How fucking _dare you_ ,” she hissed, one arm now around Inuyasha, whose head had sunk even more deeply into his hands. “He’s your _brother_ , Sesshomaru-sama, and you had to bring up the fact that the possibility exists that his own _mother_ had her reiki stolen now? _Here_?” She scoffed. “Some older brother you are.” She tossed her hair and pulled Inuyasha into her arms. His aura and reiki were becoming unstable, and she needed to work fast if she was going to bring him back.

 _Inuyasha_ , she whispered softly, nuzzling his hair, _I’m here. I’m here, and I love you, and we’re not going to let anything that your fucking brother says get in the way of our happiness. I am here for you, anata_.

At her use of the affectionate term, Inuyasha raised his head. Kagome’s beautiful blue-gray eyes were a stormy night, cloudy and sparking and _very_ angry. He couldn’t help it; he smiled at Kagome’s outburst on his behalf. It…it gave him strength...to pull himself back and bring himself under control. 

Kagome let out a breath and continued to nuzzle his hair gently. _I’ve got you, anata_.

He growled affectionately and rubbed his face into the palm of her hand, inhaling her scent, allowing her to bring him back to himself. Kagome smiled as relief flooded her body. _Crisis averted, Inuyasha_ , she said, and felt his chest rumble with pleasure against hers. 

But unlike Kagome, Sesshomaru was less than pleased. “If you two can cease with the ridiculous displays of affection and the like,” he said, clearly annoyed, “we can get to the more important question at hand here.”

“Which is what, you bastard?” Inuyasha snarled. Now that he had Kagome by his side, comforting him, he was suddenly much more full of life, and ready to kick some ass. Preferably his brother’s ass. Because his brother was the biggest horse’s ass he knew.

“That mikos have been having their reiki stolen for at least the past 150 years, perhaps longer,” Sesshomaru replied. “And that means that this is much bigger than Onigumo’s plan to ‘level the playing field’ between youkai and humans. And as such…”

“We need Tsubasa Tsubaki alive,” said Kouga shortly. “We need her alive, so we can ask her what the _fuck_ the Spiritualist Society has been up to since its inception 300 years ago.”

“Well, then,” Kagome said, getting to her feet, “what are we waiting for?”

“Oh, fuck _me_ ,” Inuyasha yelled, jumping up as well, “do you not remember what happened the last time you decided that you were going to take things into your own hands and try to be the savior of the world?”

“I hate to agree with the mutt on this one, Kagome,” added Kouga, “but he’s right.” Inuyasha and Kouga exchanged a hardened glance over Kagome’s head: she was _not_ going to try anymore crazy bullshit with both of them watching over her.

“I’m gonna third that thought, Kagome,” chimed in Sango. “We need to do this the right way.”

“If I may,” said Toran, the panther youkai, in a strong and clear voice. Everyone swiveled their heads to face the tall and terribly beautiful panther. Her long, sky blue hair fluttered behind her, like she was in a perpetual light breeze. Her light blue eyes were firm and clear. Kagome wasn’t sure whether or not she liked her.

“It seems that the NPA has had difficulty apprehending this miko, correct?” she began. Sesshomaru and Totosai both slightly inclined their heads. “Then,” Toran continued, “it seems like we should be thinking about what would lure Tsubasa out of hiding. What does she want, for instance, more than anything else? What did she do this for? What is she after? And why?”

“Me,” Kagome said sharply, “she’s after _me_.”

“Now, hold on a minute Higurashi,” Inuyasha said roughly, his youki again chafing against his reiki and making him feel sick to his stomach, “you can’t know for sure that’s what her plans are.”

“Of _course_ that’s what her plans are, Inuyasha,” Kagome hissed. “She’s 100% after me.”

“But why?” he exclaimed. “What did you ever do to her?”

Kagome held out her hand. “This,” she said, and closed her eyes. The entire room watched, half in fascination, and in absolute terror, and Kagome began to murmur under her breath and work her fingers open and closed. Shafts of light appeared at the end of her fingertips, each one a different color. She whispered a few words, and the colored lights wound together around her fingertips, creating a glowing rainbow web. She closed her hand, and the light disappeared inside her palm. When she opened it, she had a small, glowing ball, made out of the shafts of light Kagome had held on her fingertips. There were quiet gasps around the room; Toran the panther youkai visibly paled.

“Don’t worry,” she said. “I’m not going to try and purify anyone here. But you need to know a little bit of what I am capable of. Because,” she added, her eyes narrowed, “I can guarantee you that Tsubasa Tsubaki is after _me_ , and the best way to lure her out of hiding _and_ get her talking about what’s been going on with the Society at least as far back as Inuyasha’s mother, is _me_.” Kagome paused. “She loves to talk, and to hear herself talk,” she continued. “If you give me 15 minutes alone with her, I would bet you anything she will start telling me about everything from her favorite Sailor Scout to global warming. I can get her to talk,” Kagome ended dramatically. “I _know_ I can get her to talk.”

“Higurashi-sama?” The voice was a tiny squeak, and she turned to see the monkey youkai, Suragami, was standing on the table and making himself loud enough to be heard. “If you are so sure that you can lure her out, what do you need the rest of us for?”

“Isn’t it fucking obvious?” Inuyasha growled. “She needs the rest of us to convince her that this is a bad fucking idea.”

“It’s not a _bad fucking idea,_ Inuyasha,” Kagome shot back. She took a deep breath to bring herself back under control. “It’s the only choice we have, and you know it,” she added quietly. _You know this is what we have to do_ , she continued, but only to him.

 _Bad fucking idea,_ he said.

 _Only fucking idea_ , she retorted.

“Keh,” he said, and turned away.

“Matsushita-san,” said Suragami tentatively, “I think that it would work if Higurashi-sama were the ‘bait’, so to speak, and the rest of us where there on standby, to protect her, and to help apprehend Tsubasa-sama.”

“What the fuck do you know?” Inuyasha snapped. He got up from the table and began to stalk the length of the room. “To all of you, she’s just some miko who’s offering to help you. But that’s not who she is. She’s my fucking _soulmate_ , and I _will not_ put her at risk for this mission.” He crossed his arms and tossed his hair. He looked like an idiot—he knew that—but he really didn’t care. “I _will not_ put her at risk for this mission. I _will not lose her. Not when I have just found her.”_

Kagome’s arm on his bicep stilled him. He looked down, surprised at the serenity in Kagome’s face. She leaned up, and he kissed her mouth, fully and completely. She sent some of her reiki in his direction, and again he sighed as her reiki took control of his aura, soothing it back into submission. He may have moaned aloud when her tongue massaged his, but _fuck_. He needed her to understand.

 _Kagome_. His lips were still on hers.

 _I’m doing this_ , she told him, teasing the seam between his lips with her tongue.

 _Fucking hell, woman_ , he hissed as he allowed her to penetrate his mouth, her tongue running along his fangs. Her reiki was soothing again; _fuck_. He couldn’t resist her.

 _Fine,_ he said, kissing her even more deeply, not caring who saw anymore. _But we do things my way_.

 _Fine_ , she replied, returning the pressure of his kiss and sweeping her tongue along the roof of his mouth and down along his fangs again. _We do it however you want_.

He knew she was just saying that to placate him. But fuck, he didn’t really care.

“All right,” he said at last, breaking the kiss and turning to the table, a fanged smirk slowly appearing as he took in the reactions of everyone around the table (embarrassment from Kouga, disgust from his brother, amusement from Kagura, impatience from Totosai and Sango, and a smirk from Miroku that told him the monk would have probably tried to high-five him if he had the chance), “all right. So just what the _fuck_ do you have in mind for Higurashi, and for me? Because,” he added, letting some of his reiki flash against his youki, so that it burst out against Kagome’s barrier; gold crisscrossed red, and the room was filled with shouts and gasps. “I’m pretty sure I can also handle a brittle old dark miko, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo...how will Kagome react to Inuyasha's little display at the end of the chapter? How will Sesshomaru and the other youkai react? (Probably in VERY different ways, wink wink.) Thanks everyone, as always, for reading, and I look forward to seeing you in December (what???) for the next update. Stay safe, everyone!


	38. Staking Her Claim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome is very upset about Inuyasha's antics, and decides to assert her claim on him. The Youkai Council comes to a decision about how to catch Tsubaki.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you're safe and doing well.
> 
> Welcome to the next chapter of Spirited Soulmates! Kagome is _not_ pleased about Inuyasha's antics, and takes matters into her own hands. 
> 
> [Laeoukka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laeoukka) was kind enough to send me a photo of the Meguro River in December, which is about the time of year this story takes place (November, but close enough). You'll see it below. Just imagine what these trees would look like in April and May! And _thank you_ , my friend, for passing that along. I'm so grateful!
> 
> This chapter will be spicy, so please heed the tags! And enjoy!

[ ](https://fawn-eyed-girl.tumblr.com/post/636792242637553664/spirited-soulmates-chapter-38-now-live-on-ao3)

Photograph by [Laeoukka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laeoukka)

* * *

“I can’t believe you did that!” Kagome hissed as Inuyasha sped back to Nakameguro. “I can’t believe you just decided that today, at a youkai council meeting, was a good day to let everyone know that you have reiki. Including your boss.”

“Calm down, Higurashi,” said Inuyasha easily, weaving deftly through the traffic in his BRZ. “It’s gonna be fine.” And he really felt like it was. It was weird: as soon as he decided that he wasn’t going to let Kagome do anything stupid on her own, ever again, _and she had fucking agreed_ , it was like a weight had lifted off his shoulders. He felt free, easy, in love. He had one hand on the steering wheel, and one hand resting lightly on her knee, offering it a squeeze every now and then. He was grinning. His youki was sated and purring. He was...he was good.

Kagome, on the other hand, was _not_ good. He could tell by the way she hadn’t stopped coming after him since he made his dramatic announcement at the meeting. Once the room had quieted down, Sesshomaru had immediately called the meeting to a halt, and told Inuyasha and Kagome in no uncertain terms they were to leave and that he would contact them with further information. Inuyasha had protested pretty fiercely, but Kagome was secretly glad they were able to leave. She didn’t exactly love the idea of Inuyasha flashing his reiki in a room of powerful youkai, even if all those reiki did basically bend to his brother’s will. She just...well…

She felt so fucking protective over him, over _them_ , and she couldn’t stand to leave him out there with a bunch of youkai, reiki exposed, before he was ready. Inuyasha might not care, but she sure as fuck did. And she had tried to tell him this numerous times, but so far? He wasn’t listening.

Kagome dropped her hand on top of his—the one on her knee—and squeezed right back, enjoying the rush of electricity that pulsed through them. Her eyes narrowed, taking in the well-lit scenery of the trees lining the Meguro River. They were just about home. And then, she would allow her instincts to take over, so that she could stake her claim on him again, because he was _hers_. Now that he had flashed his reiki, now that he had shown the youkai council who he really was, she felt an uncontrollable need to make him hers, all hers, all over again. 

To remind him of what was most important. That _they_ were the most important.

It was funny, how far she had come, in just a few short weeks, wasn’t it? From not wanting to tell him they were soulmates, to feeling absolutely, insanely, in love with him, to wanting to possess him wholly?

Inuyasha pulled into the parking garage around the corner from his apartment. He found a parking space and maneuvered in.

“Are you hungry at all?” he asked as they left the car and walked the half block to his apartment.

“Not...not exactly.” She couldn’t quite explain _what_ was going on with her. The bubbling anger, the raging possessiveness, the incredible _desire_ that she’d felt building inside her ever since he’d made that ridiculous display of power. Had she picked up some of his more “interesting” traits when they mated? Or was it the combination of being soulmates _and_ youkai mates now? It was hard to say. She just knew that she _needed_ him, all of him. She needed to show him how stupid she thought he was, but also how much she would stand by him, no matter the stupidity. 

Because... _f_ _uck_. Hadn’t he stood by her through everything? Hadn’t he moved heaven and all the hells to get to her? She wasn’t going to let anyone get to him; she wasn’t going to let him out of her sight; she wasn’t going to let another moment go by without letting him know how much he meant to her.

_It...seems like maybe you’re hungry for something, Higurashi, but it ain’t food._

Kagome snapped her head up; his normally bright golden eyes were burning a dark, molten amber. His lips twisted into a smirk, one fang peeking out, pressing into his lower lip. Her reiki immediately flared in response, and she grinned back.

_I think I need my appetite sated in one way before I can sate it in another._

His grin grew, and Inuyasha reached out and took her hand. She smiled, but only slightly as she snuggled close into his side, the electricity once again bursting between them. She could feel his aura—his youki—humming below the surface, and her entire body was suddenly thrumming with need. She _wanted_ him, in the worst way. 

And she was going to have him.

The steps up to the apartment were the longest that Kagome had ever known. Every single step, she felt as though she were getting closer to the thing she wants more than anything else. Him. _Inuyasha_. All of him. 

She needed to show him. He was hers; she was his. His reiki, and her reiki, combined, forever.

As soon as Inuyasha opened the door, she was on him, barely giving him time to remove his shoes and jacket in the genkan. Kagome jumped right into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist as he brought his arms up and around her: Inuyasha was half surprised and shocked, half burning with the same dark passion that she held for him. She was a woman possessed; she needed to let him know. 

Again, and again, and again. She was his. He was hers. She would protect him, forever.

Her kisses were heated and insistent. Inuyasha barely had time to register them before he was taken in by the sultriness of her tongue pressing against his lips, of her thighs clenching around his waist. Her body against his, hot and soft and yielding, was almost too much for him.

“Hi—Higurashi,” he grunted, his lips seeking hers desperately.

“Yo—yoshitsu,” she murmured, teasing his lips apart with her tongue and working her way inside his mouth. Inuyasha _groaned_ as she gently massaged his tongue, his teeth, his _fangs_ , and he allowed her to back him up against the wall. The firmness against his back, lending him support, gave him new life, and he shoved his tongue down her throat, hearing her keen eagerly as he explored every corner, every crevice, of her mouth. 

He wanted to know all of her. Completely, and desperately, and wholly. Inuyasha felt small hands grip him and lead him in a particular direction. He followed more than willingly, his body trained on every shift in her scent, every shift in her body chemistry. The scent of cinnamon and sugar permeated his scenes; _fuck_ she was so fucking delectable and sweet! The lips against the base of his throat made him growl, and before he could stop himself, he whispered:

“Where would you like it, Higurashi? Where can I take you? Where can I make you mine?”

“Al—already yours, Inuyasha,” came the harsh pant. Lips traced his jawline. “You know this. I am _always_ and forever yours.”

“Kagome,” he breathed, and lifted her shirt, by the hem, up and over her chest, Kagome eagerly slipping her arms out of the sleeves. Inuyasha pressed his face between her tits. _Fuck_ . Fuck, he loved the way that she felt. He loved the way that the softness of her skin called out to him, gentle and tantalizing, like an ocean wave that crashes against the shore with promises of when it will return. He could feel her responding to his kisses, his touches, his _desire_ for her.

And that was what he wanted, more than anything else, but it was also something that _she_ wanted, desperately, to fill the gloom that had been left by the youkai council. Sesshomaru’s words had done nothing to comfort or sate her, even though she was _pretty_ sure that the two of them had an understanding when it came to Inuyasha’s wellbeing. 

And so, even if Inuyasha didn’t trust his own brother, she would, at least as far as it seemed he was willing to protect his brother. Because now, with Inuyasha having done the incredibly stupid thing of flashing his reiki before the youkai council, everyone knew, and their secret, their element of surprise, was blown. 

But she couldn’t think about that now. In the moment—in _this_ moment, between the two of them, it didn’t matter. Nothing did. Only _they_ mattered.

“Inu—Inuyasha,” she sighed, and he let out a low and feral growl in response. She tugged at his shirt, and he allowed her to gently work the buttons until they fell open; his chest underneath was bare, and Kagome pressed her entire face into the center of his chest and inhaled, slowly and deeply, taking in the whole of him—his musk, his desire, his darkness.

 _Mine_ , she said, and she lifted her face up to his and kissed him insistently, her hands pushing his shirt apart and down his shoulders. Kagome took a step back for a moment to admire him. His entire body seemed lit up from within: his gleaming amber eyes, his sparkling silver hair, his glowing golden skin. Kagome let out a low whistle of appreciation and Inuyasha chuckled, then happily accepted her when she leapt back into his arms. She kept at him, pushing and kissing and touching and fondling, until his back hit glass and he realized they were at the windows facing the street. Once they could go no further, Kagome slipped back to the ground, and buried her face in his neck, licking and sucking and teasing, urging his legs apart with a knee, her arms encircling his torso and pressing him close. 

And Inuyasha was here for it—for all of it. Her mouth was on his mating mark, and he was panting, so hard, as he felt the pressure go directly to his dick. His own fingers nimbly unbuttoned his jeans, then her pants. He tugged zippers down next, and was ready to take everything off at a moment’s notice. He absolutely needed to have his cock inside of her, and quickly.

‘Higurashi.” His voice was insistent, and needy, and _fuck_ , when had it gotten like that? 

Her hands were surprisingly gentle. “Here,” she whispered, and maneuvered them so that she was the one in front of the glass, and he was behind her. “Turn out the light, Inuyasha,” she added, her voice dark and breathy.

Inuyasha rushed across the room and turned out the light; the soft glow of the city lights of Nakameguro were now the only lights that caressed the yoshitsu. He turned back and saw Kagome, resplendent against the glass windows, her magenta bra matching the color of her reiki. His body immediately responded; _fuck_ , she was glorious.

Inuyasha took his time crossing the room to her; every step was intentional, every move thoughtful and purposeful. He had nothing on his mind but Kagome; he had no other desire besides reaching her, as quickly as possible. Her breasts were gleaming against the lights of the city, reflected in the room; her chest heaved as she expelled her anticipation.

Her vanilla and cinnamon scent was overpowering; Inuyasha felt almost drunk from it. _Fuck_ , he thought, what the _fuck_ is she playing at?

“Inuyasha.” Her voice was as deep and as husky as he imagined. “Why are you still so far away?”

That was all the invitation he needed. In a second he was back by her side, his nose pressed into the crook of her neck. “Higurashi,” he murmured. “I’m here. I’m here; what do you want?”

 _I want you to fuck me,_ she told him. _And I want it to be right here_.

Inuyasha’s eyes opened wide as he took in the full meaning of what she wanted. _Are...are you sure_?

 _One hundred percent sure. I need you inside me, and I want the world to see_.

Inuyasha growled softly, and gripped the waistband of her unzipped pants. With a swift and fearful tug, they were down around Kagome’s ankles, leaving the dusky smell of her heat to invade his senses more fully. Inuyasha let out a low growl, only to have Kagome tweak one of his ears in response. 

_I thought you once said no talking, Matsushita-san_. Her voice was low, teasing, and driving him wild.

 _Right...No talking, Higurashi_. She could see his fanged smirk as he said that, and then she let out a low cry of submission as she felt him tease the soft skin of her throat with his claws. When her scent spiked as a result of that move, Inuyasha nearly came in his pants.

_Hold...on. Hold on._

He was vaguely aware of the small form that had latched itself onto his side and was currently holding him close. 

_Inuyasha_. It was her voice: soft, yielding, knowledgeable.

 _I need you_.

He felt the cool glass against her back, and then worked quickly to remove his own pants. She smiled softly, and ran her hands up the warm, hard expanse of his chest. He hissed softly at the contact; her smile got bigger. She leaned forward and placed the flat of her tongue against his chest, dragging it slowly along his sternum, her fingers teasing his skin as they slipped down to his cock. Her tongue traced his collarbone, all the way to the hollow of his throat—to the location of his mark.

 _How would you feel...if I did this_? she wondered softly, then pressed her tongue fully against his mark as she gripped his cock tightly and stroked.

Inuyasha’s knees immediately buckled, and he _keened_ as she traced the outline of his mark on his shoulder with her tongue. Her hands gently worked his cock, massaging the shaft and softly cupping his sac; she could feel his heat searing through her body, and she knew. It would only be a little while longer before she would be ready to claim him again fully, here, and now.

 _Inuyasha_ , she whispered. His claws stopped along her stomach, pressing gently into the soft skin around her belly button. 

_What?_ He couldn’t say the words she wanted him to say.

 _Take off my bra,_ she commanded. _Then turn me around and touch me everywhere._

Inuyasha’s low chuckles morphed into a loud, deep, guttural growl. His fingers worked their way around to the back of her bra, where he gently pried the hooks apart. When the band sprang free, Inuyasha tugged at the straps, and her bra fell away, leaving her completely nude and completely his. Kagome pressed her breasts into his chest eagerly, and lifted her face to his for a kiss; he gave one to her freely, and easily, and she wondered how she had gone her entire life without his kisses. Because goddammit, she _needed_ him, and he hoped that he needed her, just as much.

 _Hi-Higurashi_ , he whispered.

Kagome turned away from him and rested her hands on the apartment window. _Like this, Inuyasha,_ she commanded. _I want everyone to know that I am yours, and that we belong to each other. Take me, just like this_. When she felt him hesitate, she slid down the window a bit, lifting her ass, making herself as delectable as possible. Inuyasha growled in response, and Kagome grinned. She pressed her breasts against the window, her breath hitching at the cool glass coming into contact with her nipples. She pushed her ass back at him and wiggled it a little, making it very clear exactly _how_ she expected him to take her. His low rumble confirmed that she was about to get what she wanted. 

Before she knew what was happening, Inuyasha was behind her, his growls low and feral, his body molded perfectly to hers. His hands were all over her; one hand crossed her breasts and massaged her nipples; the other hand worked itself between her thighs and was now hunting out the small bundle of nerves that he knew would drive her wild. Her entire body immediately tensed up at the feel of him behind her and all over her; the slow spread of desire that had been infiltrating her senses suddenly went into overdrive and her body began to burn more heatedly for him.

Would it always be like this? Would it always be such that one move, one look, from him would drive her absolutely wild? His claws traced her ribcage tenderly, his voice whispered sweet words in her ears, his cock ground against her ass in his deep need. He wanted to join with her—to be one, to be complete.

And she was going to let him.

Kagome felt him massage her ass in what she could only describe as glee; he leaned forward and nudged her ear with his nose, whispering, _Are you ready, Higurashi_? and she breathed slowly, rubbing her thighs together with anticipation. 

She audibly moaned, but her _Yes, please_ was for him alone. His cock was by now weeping, but it would have to wait to go inside her. Just a bit longer. Because he wanted to love her first, then make love to her, on repeat, all night.

Inuyasha rested his head on her shoulder and looked out at the expanse of the Meguro River, still playing lazily with her most tender places. 

_It’s beautiful, isn't it_? Kagome murmured, turning to nuzzle his cheek.

 _Keh_ , he responded with a grin she couldn’t quite see, but she could feel _, it’s okay_. _Definitely not as beautiful as you._

Inuyasha tilted her chin, turned her head slightly, and kissed her. It was light, yet deep. It was soft, yet hard. 

_I’m—can you touch me, Inuyasha? I need you, fuck. I need your cock inside of me. Do you—do you think…?_

_Yes_ , said Inuyasha immediately, _YES_ , and his cock yet again pulsed with need. Kagome keened slightly, and the Inuyasha caught her, both of them trembling with excitement. Inuyasha reached between her legs; she hadn’t orgasmed yet, but she was wet, and slick, and his dick ached for her. He slipped two fingers into her already soaking pussy, her soul crying out for him as he did so. Kagome hissed softly; Inuyasha pumped his fingers in and out of her; her breasts heaved against the glass, his fingers teasing and taking her apart slowly and tenderly.

 _Higurashi_ , he said in a deep, rough voice that chafed against her soul, _Are you ready for me?_

 _Inuyasha_. Her voice was breathy, and deep, and dark within his mind, and had his attention immediately. _No more condoms. Just want...want to feel you. To feel all of you. Please._

Her voice was so pleading, and desperate, he could practically hear her crying out for his cock. And while...yes, he totally wanted to feel her, and all of her, again, he was...he was nervous. She smelled...well, fuck. She smelled divine, and he was pretty sure she wasn’t in heat, but nothing was 100% foolproof, was it?

But the fact that she wanted to do this, that she wanted to start a family. Or that she was _okay_ with starting a family. With him. With _him_.

He was suddenly shaking; his entire body was stricken with emotions he could not really identify in the moment. Not when he felt this way—not when he was on fire for her, when he _needed_ her. He couldn’t…

It was all too much.

 _It’s okay_. Her voice was small, and her ass was glorious against his dick. _I need to feel you, Inuyasha. I don’t...ever want to feel a barrier between us, ever again. And whatever happens..._ She laughed a little; he held his breath.

 _Will happen. And we’ll be fine._ She turned slightly so one stormy eye was directed at him.

 _Now,_ she said silkily, _do you think that you can show Tokyo that I’m yours, and that you’re mine, completely?_ Kagome reached around, behind her, until her small fingers found his cock. Her hand circled the length, and he groaned with need as she teased her entrance with it. _I want you,_ she said coquettishly. _So will you do it? Will you claim your mate, Matsushita Inuyasha_?

Inuyasha’s growl grew impossibly loud; he pressed his hand over hers, feeling his length, and tightened his grip on Kagome’s waist with the other. He rested his cock in between her ass cheeks, and closed his eyes, taking a moment to inhale her divine scent. Gods, she smelled so fucking good. Like she had been made just for him. Like she alone called to his basest desires, ignited the fires that stoked his soul. 

Kagome closed her eyes too, and braced her hands against the glass. She ground back against him; Inuyasha grunted and lined up his cock with her entrance. Then, in one swift moment, Inuyasha was inside her, and they both groaned at the sudden contact. Inuyasha could feel all of Kagome: she was hot, and wet, and slick, and her scent was starting to overpower every other scent in the room; the cinnamon that normally permeated his sense of smell was impossibly deep and dark and all-encompassing. Inuyasha let out a sharp breath, pulling her into him, allowing his body to cover hers, bending her gently at the hips so that he could have a better angle for fucking her. Kagome moaned softly and ground her ass back against his hips; she needed to feel him inside her, more deeply, more suddenly. She needed to feel him release white-hot jets of cum inside her; she needed to feel him clutch her tightly as they reached their climaxes together. Even if it meant that tomorrow she could wake up with an entirely different future with Inuyasha taking root. She was fine with that; she always would be. _Different_ was a regular thing with Inuyasha. Hells, he was a _reiki-wielding hanyou_ and she was just focused on loving him, not on his liminality. She _enjoyed_ his version of chaos; it drove her insane, but _fuck_ if it didn’t set her aflame with desire for him, too. 

_Higurashi_ , he growled softly, and Kagome knew that he was a goner. 

Because so was she. But fuck, she’d been a goner all along; it had just taken her a bit longer to recognize it. 

_Here,_ she said, and adjusted her hips as she leaned up against the window. _I want everyone to know that you are mine, Inuyasha. I want everyone to see you inside me, so they know that you own me. Because you do_.

Inuyasha’s growl was loud, and deep, and penetrated to her very soul. She matched his thrusts, shifting her hips to move in rhythm with him. Kagome felt him pulsing inside her, and she keened, and nearly came right in that moment. Inuyasha caught her, and held her softly, even as he continued to fuck her from behind. 

_Yes, Higurashi_ , he whispered. _Let everyone see that you belong to me, and I belong to you. Because you do. I do. WE do._

 _Inuyasha_ , Kagome murmured, and pressed herself fully against the glass, his cock thrusting into her, his claws teasing her nipples, his fangs teasing her neck. Kagome’s own fingers massaged that bundle of nerves she loved to have caressed so much, helping her chase her orgasm more swiftly.

Inuyasha’s youki was swirling about them madly. The idea of fucking his soulmate _anywhere_ got him impossibly hot, but fucking her against his apartment windows, the street lights and the lamps along the river the only things lighting their way, was making him want to fuck her until they broke the windows. Until the entire city could hear him howling for her. 

For his mate.

Kagome’s own body now pulsed with need and was being strung taut with her desire to release. She clasped his hand that was caressing her breasts with her own, feeling how he was touching her, teasing her, feeling her. Her other hand slipped down even further between her legs, to where she felt his cock moving in and out of her. Her entire body lit up with her reiki as she tickled him, and he hissed in her ear as he began to fuck her more fiercely. 

_That’s it_ , she moaned. _Harder, Inuyasha. Make me...._

She never finished that sentence. Her body tensed, her reiki shook them both, and she came, a ferocious torrent of harsh words and sweet juices, her breath now hot against the window. Inuyasha let out a roar; his cock quaked inside her as his youki and reiki flared around her own aura and he followed her into oblivion. 

Magenta, red, and gold intertwined, forming a protective barrier that blanketed them as they recovered together. Kagome leaned against the window; Inuyasha tightened his hold on her and once again rested his head on her shoulder, inhaling their sweetened, combined scent.

 _That was…_ she whispered.

 _I know_ , he replied. _I know_.

They stayed where they were, watching the city, seeing the people walking below, the cars driving by, and watching the leaves on the trees along the river sway gently in the breeze. They stayed where they were, in their safe little world, tucked up and away from the city, away from harm, away from those who wanted them for their own nefarious purposes.

_Higurashi._

_Yes_? A squeeze of his hand as he gently pulled out.

 _You—you wanted to be with me. Just me. No condom._ He paused; Kagome was silent, her heart pounding: with anticipation, nervousness, fear...she really couldn’t tell.

 _It means that..._ He paused again. _It means that you want a family with me? You’re ready for that? A family with...with a hanyou?_

A beat. _Who else would I want a family with, Inuyasha?_

Inuyasha smiled, his fangs glinting in the soft street lights. 

* * *

Sesshomaru sighed and rubbed his temples. Normally he was not so free with showing his emotions, but honestly, his idiotic brother had pissed him off to no end. Sesshomaru could tell when Inuyasha and Kagome came into the youkai council meeting that Kagome had disguised Inuyasha’s reiki in order to protect him from those who did not yet know about his brother’s combined powers. And quite frankly, he thought the miko’s move incredibly smart and savvy. She was...she had a strong ability to read a room, and that, combined with her fierce desire to protect his brother, made Sesshomaru begrudgingly admire her, just a bit.

But then Inuyasha had gone and done something completely stupid and idiotic. Oh, Sesshomaru knew _exactly_ why Inuaysha had done what he did. The idea of the miko facing off against Tsubasa Tsubaki alone was making his brother insane. Inuyasha’s desire to protect his mate superseded any logical thinking, which was par for the course, as far as Sesshomaru was concerned. And now everyone at the youkai council knew: they all knew that Inuyasha had reiki _and_ youki, that he had control over the both, and that he could use both. They didn’t know how well Inuyasha could control it, and to be honest, Sesshomaru wasn’t completely sure either. But that issue was irrelevant. What mattered was that the miko had tried to protect Inuyasha, and Inuyasha went ahead and did something so moronic as to render her protections null.

So Sesshomaru had dismissed them from the meeting almost immediately, exchanging a look with the miko that said, _get him out of here_ NOW. And to her credit, the miko had again read him perfectly. She pulled Inuyasha to his feet, said hurried goodnights, told Sesshomaru to call her with the plan, and dragged a protesting and howling Inuyasha out of the room. That, combined with a well-timed withering glare, reduced the noise in the room to nothing.

“Now that this one’s brother’s ridiculous display is over,” Sesshomaru said, “let us begin our discussion in earnest of how to apprehend Tsubasa Tsubaki.”

“Hold on a minute, Sesshomaru-sama,” said Toran, “what the _fuck_ did we just see?”

“I second that,” chimed in Tsukuyomaru. “Does your brother have reiki as well as youki?” The bat youkai’s face was exceptionally pale.

Sesshomaru sighed internally, keeping his face carefully neutral. “This one’s brother does, in fact, have reiki as well as youki,” he admitted. “It did not reveal itself until his soulmate was in mortal peril and called out to him telepathically. Their connection ignited his reiki, and Higurashi-sama and Murasaki-sama have been attempting to train him.”

The shocked faces around the room told Sesshomaru he was in danger of losing the direction of the conversation, and fast.

“Inuyasha’s reiki is not the topic of our discussion, all,” he said firmly. “We will come back to the implications of what you have seen tonight at another point in time. For now, the focus of our discussion must be finding Tsubasa Tsubaki and bringing her into custody.”

“But Sesshomaru-sama,” protested Hosenki, speaking for the first time, “this is highly unusual and your brother must be examined and studied. We need to know how his youki and reiki function together.”

“I concur,” Toran jumped in. “I’ve never heard of a reiki-wielding hanyou before. You must admit it’s intriguing. We demand to know more about him.”

Sesshomaru let loose a massive shock of youki into the room; it exploded above him and radiated out across the room like a series of sound waves. The other youkai in the room immediately cowered and dropped their heads as the youki soared just above their heads; Miroku’s hackles were raised and he openly cringed at the feel of Sesshomaru’s deep, dark youki shooting past him.

“Enough.” Sesshomaru’s voice was terrible. “This one has explicitly stated the topic is not on the table for discussion tonight. You will all drop it for now.”

“But—“ insisted Hosenki.

“I’d like to make a suggestion, Sesshomaru, if I may,” said Kouga, interrupting Hosenki and effectively changing the subject. Sesshomaru’s eyes swiveled to the ookami, his face flashing a millisecond of gratefulness before it twisted in a sneer at Kouga’s lack of honorifics. Sesshomaru’s right eyebrow raised. Kouga smirked.

“I vote that we go with Kagome’s suggestion to use her as bait,” Kouga said. “And that we do it by reopening the spiritual school, and allowing things to appear to go on there as normal.”

Miroku let out a gasp. “Kouga, you can’t possibly be serious! Do you know how many children go through the school’s doors every day? We can’t allow those students to be subjected to danger!”

“I agree with Murasaki-sama,” said Toran. “That seems to be a brash and baseless plan, Moriyama-sama.”

Kouga shook his head and spread his hands wide. “Hear me out,” he said. “I said, ‘allowing things to appear to go on there as normal.’ What that means is...Kagome, and Murasaki-sama, and Kaede-obaa-sama are all there, teaching their classes. I’m there, working at the front desk. The mutt is there, hanging around. And then we set up a watch on the school, looking for Tsubasa-sama in particular. We watch for her, and I can guarantee you that she will show up. Kagome is too much of a draw for Tsubasa; she won’t be able to stay away, especially if she thinks it’s just me and the mutt. She doesn’t know he has reiki. She’ll think she can purify us both, and take Kagome. She won’t realize that the NPA and the Youkai Council are lying in wait for her.”

There was silence around the table. Everyone looked thoughtful; no one could speak.

“I--I think,” said Sango hesitantly, “that this may be our best option. Our girls attend the school, so I’m not thrilled about the idea of putting them at risk. But I trust Kagome, Inuyasha, Kaede, Kouga, and my husband to protect the children. I think they can do it; I think they can keep the children safe _and_ get Tsubasa-sama.” Her face was set and resolute. “And you better fucking believe I will not leave school grounds while we wait for Tsubasa-sama to make her move. I’m human; she won’t be able to detect my presence.” She looked around the room, her eyes settling on Miroku. Her husband nodded and reached over to squeeze her hand softly. 

“I say,” Sango added, “we let her come to us, and when she does, we get that stolen reiki back, and we waste the bitch.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...it looks like the Youkai Council has a plan to take down Tsubaki, and with Totosai and Sango at the meeting, the NPA will surely be lending their forces as well. But the question remains: will Tsubaki take the bait? Find out this, and more, at the next update. And as always, thanks everyone for reading!


	39. Making Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome has something important to tell Inuyasha, and there's cause for celebration. Later, they receive a visit from Sesshomaru and Totosai, and begin to make plans on how they will capture Tsubaki.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you're safe and doing well.
> 
> WELCOME BACK! I'm thrilled to bring you the next chapter of Spirited Soulmates! We are in the final stretch, and I'll be posting one chapter a week regularly from here to the end of the story. I'm sorry that there was a delay in bringing this to you, but we've had a lot going on in the month of December, and now that it's January, I'm back to updating my regular stories.
> 
> This chapter contains sexual content, so please make sure that you heed the tags. And enjoy!

Kagome slowly came back to consciousness, snuggled deep in a pile of blankets and pillows and soft hair. She turned her head slightly, left, and then right, and felt said hair tickle her cheek. She giggled quietly, flipped to her side, and opened her eyes.

Inuyasha lay sleeping on his side beside her, a little frown furrowing his forehead. His breathing was soft and even; his ears were droopy, and his hands were tucked up under his cheek, which was flushed from the heat of the blankets and their bodies. 

Kagome took a moment to revel in watching her soulmate slumber. He was beautiful, yes, but in sleep, he seemed almost ethereal—god-like—with his flowing silver hair, his tanned skin, his strong nose, and his full, supple lips. Kagome wanted more than anything else to reach forward and quietly kiss him, but she hated to wake him up. They had kept each other up... _late_...the night before, worshiping each other’s bodies. She let out a little shiver at the memory of Inuyasha fucking her against the window. The cool of the glass, contrasted with the heat of his cock, driving into her sex, made her feel all tingly all over again. 

_Ready for another round, Higurashi?_

Kagome blinked, and Inuyasha’s golden eyes were staring at her, blinking in amusement. 

_Inuyasha!_ She exclaimed. _I thought you were sleeping_.

His face shaped into a charming half-smirk. _I was...until you and your scent woke me up, woman_.

Kagome smiled. _I was just thinking about last night_.

Inuyasha reached out and pulled him to her; they lay, side-by-side, staring at each other until Kagome could stand it no longer and kissed him softly. His fangs teased her lower lip, and she opened her mouth, letting his tongue merge with hers. He growled and slipped his arms around her fully; Kagome could feel his cock hardening against her thigh. And as tired as she was, Kagome couldn’t help but feel like she was ready to make love with him again. 

And again...and again...like this, every morning, from now on.

Suddenly, in the heat of their kisses, in the joining of their bodies, Kagome knew.

 _Would you want me to be here with you, Inuyasha?_ Kagome asked carefully. _Now, and...always_?

His youki flared up immediately at the insinuation in her tone, and he paused inside her mouth. _Do you mean...?_

“Yes,” she said immediately, switching back to audible words. “I think I want to...after all this is over, I want to move in with you, if you’ll have me. I’ll break my lease; I don’t care about the cost. Besides, you’re a multimillionaire, after all,” she added, teasing him, “and I’m pretty sure you can swing it.”

Inuyasha was quiet, but his arms pressed her to him even more closely. The two were silent for a moment, listening to the soft rhythm of their breathing, so in sync now, just like everything else. Inuyasha lowered his face and nuzzled her hair affectionately, passionately. “You don’t want to even think about going back to your place?” he whispered in her ear.

“I have thought about it,” she whispered back, “and I’m pretty sure this is the only place I want to live. No,” she added, “scratch that. _You_ are the only place where I want to live, Inuyasha. _You_ are my home. Wherever you are? That’s where I want to be. Because I love you, and I want to stay with you, by your side, always. Besides,” she giggled, “Buyo’s happy here, too.” 

_Where is that damn cat, anyway?_

Kagome turned her head and pulled him into a deep kiss. _Not in here. I kicked him out of our room last night before we went to bed,_ she replied, and his entire being lit up with the way that she said _our room_. 

“Higurashi,” he murmured, switching back to vocalizing his speech, “are you sure?”

“Do you remember how last night I said that I didn’t want any more barriers between us?” she asked him. He nodded slowly. “That’s true. I mean it. I want us to be together, fully and completely. I want to live my life with you, for however long that is—100 days, 100 years, 1000 years. I don’t care. So long as I have you, that’s really all I need.”

“Kagome,” he said tenderly, caressing her face delicately with his claws, “you have no idea how much I want that too.”

“Oh,” she said, as his claws grew a little more insistent and his fangs teased her ear lobe, “I’m sure that I have at least an inkling.” She giggled as his hands began to roam over her body, his claws teasing her flesh. He found her breasts and hugged her close, caressing the soft skin and the hardening nipples. He plucked one, and then the other, and Kagome moaned.

 _Yes, anata_ , she thrilled, and he grinned as he rolled her over so he could see her, touch, taste her, face-to-face. She was damn near perfect, and he let out rumbles of pleasure as he worked his way down her body, kissing every inch of her, letting her know how much he appreciated her decision. Because not since his mother and father had he felt so much love—not even from Kikyo. And Kagome? She just opened her arms and love poured out. And it was all for him.

He felt like the luckiest bastard in the entire world.

So when he reached the juncture of her thighs, what else could he do but bury his face there? He ignored her soft cries, her pleading in his head to stop, that she hadn’t showered, that she wasn’t ready. _You’re incredible and fucking delicious_ , he growled, _now stop and let me feast on you_. 

_I—I—okay_. Her voice, even in her head, was small and teasing. She _wanted_ this. She _wanted_ him. This was, after all, why she wanted to live with him. Because this kind of love—this kind of passion—was something she wanted to experience with him, this morning, and every morning, hereafter. 

It didn’t take him long to bring her to completion. Her body was already taut from thinking about their activities the night before; all he had to do was fine-tune her a bit more. A nip here, a lick there, a well-timed sweep of his tongue over her clit, of his fingers in her pussy, and he quickly had her moaning his name and spilling her juices all over his face. He growled and shook his face between her thighs, excited to lap everything up. Kagome giggled and reached down to massage his ears: lightly, playfully, tweaking the tips, gently running her fingers over the soft, sensitive skin.

 _Kagome_. His voice was _so_ dark. _I’m gonna fuck you so hard, you’re not gonna be able to sit down for a week._

She giggled again. _Is that a challenge, Matsushita-san?_ She opened her legs for him; within seconds he was fully sheathed within her, and he dropped himself down, letting her take his weight fully, kissing her forehead, her eyes, her cheeks, her ears, her lips. Whatever he could reach. His cock moved within her slowly; she raised her hips to meet his, their rhythm now easy and playful. He was going to build her up, make her feel better than she’d ever felt in her life.

Because she had made him feel better than he’d _ever_ felt. And if he could give that back to her, even a little bit, then he knew that he’d been able to make her also feel beyond incredible.

 _Here,_ he grunted, dropping a kiss to her lips, _hold onto me_. And Kagome looped her arms around his neck as he proceeded to lift them both to a seated position. Inuyasha settled her in his lap, while Kagome slipped her legs around his back, bracing her feet against the mattress. _Yes_ , he whispered as she began to slide herself up and down his cock. Their lips met as she moved in his lap, and he immediately felt her quiver.

 _Close_. _So close_.

_Yes, Higurashi. So close to you._

_Inuyasha…I love you._

He kissed her harder, deeper, his tongue demanding entrance to her mouth. She parted her lips and eagerly granted him access. He fiercely explored her, from wrestling with her tongue, to feeling her teeth, the inside of her cheeks, the roof of her mouth—he needed to taste every single part of her, and fuck if he wasn’t going to do his best to make that happen.

 _Inuyasha_ …her voice was a series of gentle sighs in his mind. He wrapped his arms around her, bringing her closer, his youki howling when he felt her breasts press up against his chest. He let loose a spark of both his youki and his reiki, just to see what would happen; Kagome’s pink aura immediately responded, and the three merged together: pink and red and gold flying around, shooting stars in the heavens of their bedroom.

 _You feel so good, Inuyasha_.

 _Higurashi. You feel fucking insane_.

Because she did.

Inuyasha’s youki was starting to chafe. It needed…something. It needed Kagome. That feeling of wanting to fuck her hard, and fast, and furious, was starting to overwhelm him. While he knew that she was enjoying this—he could feel her clenching around him, the pulses coming faster and faster—he also knew that he couldn’t deny his youki for much longer.

 _Okay, Higurashi_ , he said with a gruff chuckle in his voice. _Time for that serious fucking I told you that you were gonna get_.

Kagome sighed into his mouth and moved up, around, and back down onto his dick. _Whatever you want to do,_ she told him _, I am_ so _ready_.

Inuyasha broke their kiss, took her off his cock, and grabbed her by the waist. He placed her on all fours on the futon. She giggled against and wiggled her ass at him, grabbing a pillow to support herself.

 _It’s been awhile since we’ve done this_ , she said to him. _Think you remember how_?

He growled at her, rubbed her ass a few times in anticipation, then gave her cheeks a slap. Her cry and her quaking knees told him everything he needed to know about how much she liked _that_. Inuyasha filed that information away for later, grabbed her hips, and buried his cock deep inside her.

 _Don’t tease about that, Higurashi_ , he told her fiercely. _Inu youkai don’t fuck around_.

 _I should hope not_ , she answered lightly. _I hope you’re gonna fuck_ me _._

Inuyasha roared and held her hips tightly, plunging his cock into her, over and over. Their combined youki and reiki were swirling about them, higher and higher, exploding into what seemed like fireworks over their heads as Inuyasha fucked his soulmate. Kagome ground back into his hips in her desire to meet his cock every time he drove into her. While sitting in his lap had been sexy, and slow, and loving, this was frenzied, and desperate: Kagome could feel his youki trying to overpower both their reikis, and she knew that he needed to fully release in order to regain his sense of balance. And besides, the force of his cock inside her? It was hitting something deep, and dark, and needy, and every time he hit that spot, she keened and cried and reached up with her feet to try and grip his thighs. The tension was spreading rapidly from her groin and out to the rest of her body. She couldn’t…she couldn’t hold on.

Then, with one, solid thrust from her soulmate, the string that held Kagome so tight snapped, and she let go.

 _Inuyasha!_ She cried out.

Inuyasha felt her tighten desperately, nearly squeezing him in half. He groaned, gave her several vigorous thrusts, then, for only the second time, released inside of her. As he felt his cock twitching, returning back to normal, Kagome lay down prostrate on the futon and buried her head in her pillow. She let out several audible sighs, and her entire body shook. Inuyasha sank down beside her, and drew her in close. Their auras settled back down, coming to rest over them, warm and secure like a thick and heavy barrier.

 _You okay_? He was concerned. He’d fucked her pretty hard at the end there, and he was worried he’d hurt her.

She sighed again. _I’m…I’m okay_ , she replied. _Thank you…for asking_.

He smiled softly and kissed the top of her head. _You know I love you, right?_

He could feel her smile. _I do, anata_ , she said. _I do_.

They like that together for awhile, enjoying the feel of Inuyasha still buried inside of her, of his body molded carefully to hers. She may have felt like she needed to protect him now, because he had youki and reiki, but truthfully, he knew that when it came to it—when it came down life or death—he was gonna shove her out of the way and protect her with his life, if he had to.

 _We protect each other, Inuyasha._ Her voice was clear, but drowsy.

He chuckled. _We sure as fuck do_ , he told her, nuzzling her ear.

 _Now,_ he said. _How soon can we get your shit from your old apartment and move it in here_?

* * *

Inuyasha and Kagome were just finishing breakfast when a knock sounded at the door. Kagome looked at him, but Inuyasha rose, one ear cocked towards the door. He let out a huff.

“Always during fucking breakfast,” he muttered, and went to the door. “What the fuck are you doing here so fucking early, you bastard?”

“Lovely to see you too, little brother.” The last place Sesshomaru wanted to be was at his idiotic half-brother’s apartment at an ungodly hour of the morning, but yet, here he was. Inuyasha could read his brother so well, it was like they hadn’t been separated by over a hundred years of anger and prejudice. Sesshomaru swept into the apartment, nodded at Kagome, and then his face twisted in disgust, and Inuyasha knew exactly why.

“What’s the matter, Sess? I’m sure that you and onee-sama enjoy the fruits of the flesh at all hours of the day,” Inuyasha smirked. “You do have two little brats as proof of that.”

_INUYASHA. Get over here and SIT, now._

Inuyasha flashed his soulmate a fanged grin and obeyed her instantly, leaving his brother standing in the genkan, his cheeks slightly red, the maddest Inuyasha had ever seen him.

“This one is not the only one who has come to see you this morning, little brother,” Sesshomaru said evenly, trying to hold onto whatever sanity he could and not murder his brother on the spot. Not when he knew there was a miko there who could possibly purify him into oblivion, anyway.

“Oh?” Inuyasha’s ears perked up as he sat beside Kagome at the chabudai. She leaned into him, and he looped an arm about her shoulders. “Who the fuck else is here?”

“Me, Matsushita.” Totosai toddled into the room, looking about with something between interest and disgust. “Your apartment is…small.”

“Ain’t only me living here, ojiji,” Inuyasha said, falling back on his affectionate term for his boss and former mentor.

 _Not for much longer, Inuyasha_.

Inuyasha reached behind Kagome and pinched her ass; she squeaked.

“Would you like some tea, Totosai?” Kagome said, springing to her feet. “And you, Matsushita-sama? Breakfast, perhaps?”

“If you have coffee made, Higurashi-sama,” said Totosai, “that would be preferable.”

“I have some made, yes,” Kagome said, and went into the kitchen.

 _Your ass is mine again later, Higurashi_.

She shot him a look. _Be. Have._

_Keh. When do I ever?_

Kagome sighed and started pouring coffee for Totosai. _Never_ , she told him. She paused. _And I love that about you_.

Inuyasha preened and crossed his arms over his chest, smirking at his brother. He knew it drove Sesshomaru nuts when he and Kagome spoke telepathically, and so he’d decided that they should do it as often as possible. He grinned as Kagome asked Sesshomaru, “Coffee for you, Matsushita-sama?” and Sesshomaru merely glared in her direction. “I’ll take that as a yes then,” she murmured, ignoring Sesshomaru’s flinty golden eyes. “How do you both take it?”

“A little cream, no sugar,” said Totosai. Kagome nodded, then turned to Sesshomaru. When he said nothing to her, but simply raised an eyebrow, she smirked and handed him a cup across the breakfast bar. “Black, I would presume?” she said, a light teasing in her voice.

Sesshomaru accepted the coffee, but said nothing to her. His golden eyes scrutinized her. Kagome simply hummed and handed the other cup to Totosai. “You’re sure I can’t get either of you anything to eat?” she asked.

Sesshomaru was silent, but Totosai shook his head. “No, Higurashi-sama, but thank you,” he said, sipping his coffee. “This is quite good,” he added. Kagome beamed, and Inuyasha grinned in response.

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes.

“If you two are _quite_ done,” he said, lifting the coffee cup delicately to his lips and sipping lightly, “we have much to discuss.”

“Oh?” Inuyasha set down his own coffee cup on the chabudai and eyed his brother and Totosai closely. “Like when the _fuck_ you’re going to allow me back with the NPA? Like when the _fuck_ we go after Tsubasa Tsubaki? Like when the _fuck_ —”

“That’s quite enough, Matsushita,” interrupted Totosai. “Thank you for your concerns. The NPA is working quite hard to locate Tsubasa, and your doctors have not yet cleared you to return to work.”

“I feel fucking fine,” Inuyasha said angrily, slamming his fist on the low table. His coffee sloshed over the sides of the cup. “I’m ready to come back.”

“His youki and reiki are largely under control, Totosai, if that’s the concern,” Kagome added. “I can vouch for him, and maybe…” she didn’t want to finish the sentence. Because she couldn’t believe that she had been about to say it.

 _Maybe I could come and work for the NPA, too. And be Inuyasha’s partner_.

But she knew that was crazy and impossible. She ran the school with Miroku; Inuyasha was partnered with Sango. Their jobs were steady and successful. Why mess with a good thing?

Dammit, though. She really wanted to.

Kagome left the kitchen and went back to the chabudai, where she sat beside Inuyasha. He wrapped an arm around her and drew her close. Inuyasha turned back to his brother and smirked, as if daring him to make a comment. Sesshomaru simply sipped his coffee, but his look was murderous.

“Last night at the youkai council meeting,” Totosai began, clearing his throat and looking at Sesshomaru almost timidly, “it was decided that Higurashi-sama’s school will reopen. Matsushita, upon being cleared for duty, you will be assigned to the school, as will Murasaki. We will also place the Moriyama-sama at the school, as well.”

“Everything should appear as normal,” Sesshomaru continued smoothly, the coffee cup now in his hands. “Murasaki-sama, Higurashi-sama, and Chie-sama will continue with classes as normal. The NPA and the Youkai Council will work together to keep watch on the school. Any movement by Tsubasa-sama will be noticed; we will have youkai and spiritualists on hand to detect her reiki signature.”

“It’s my guess that she will disguise her reiki, Matsushita-sama,” Kagome said. “She’s quite skilled at that, you know.”

“Keh,” Inuyasha said. “We’ll get her. I’m not worried about that.”

“When Tsubasa-sama makes her appearance,” Totosai continued, “the NPA and the Youkai Council will offer support. We will be prepared to come in, subdue, and apprehend Tsubasa-sama. The NPA will bring her into custody.”

“Then what the fuck do we do at the school?” Inuyasha exclaimed.

“Keep an eye on your soulmate, Inuyasha,” Totosai said, using Inuyasha’s given name. “Protect her—” he turned his gaze to Kagome “—protect each other. You will need to.” He paused. “You will have the Murasakis, Moriyama-sama, and Chie-sama to help you until the NPA and the Youkai Council can infiltrate the building. Until such time, do your best to…”

“Engage, delay, detain.” Inuyasha’s voice was flat; he wanted to blow this bitch five times from Sunday and slice off her head for good measure. He did _not_ want to follow NPA regulations for this one at all.

“Matsushita,” Totosai’s voice was sharp, and jerked Inuyasha out of his reverie. “We need her alive. I cannot stress this enough. _We need her alive_. We need answers, because…”

“Because we have reason to believe that you are not the only hanyou with reiki in existence,” Sesshomaru said smoothly.

Inuyasha and Kagome looked at each other, stunned.

“How—how do you know this, Matsushita-sama?” Kagome asked.

“Simple,” Sesshomaru replied. “In all the years that youkai have lived, surely this one’s father was not the first to be soulmated to a miko. However, Inuyasha is the only one that we can substantiate.” He turned to Totosai.

“We suspect that whatever the Spiritualist Society has been doing to mikos,” Totosai jumped in smoothly, “we suspect that they have been doing this for perhaps hundreds of years. Since their inception, and maybe even before.”

Kagome let out a gasp, and Inuyasha yanked her closer to him, and growled at his brother and Totosai. “Tell me what the fuck you mean, Totosai,” he snarled.

“Simple, Inuyasha.” It was his brother who responded. “We know that mikos have been losing their power at least a hundred and fifty years back. We know this because of your mother.” Inuyasha hissed softly, but said nothing. “Reason would stand that if it were the Spiritualist Society stealing miko’s reiki now, that they would have been the ones doing it a hundred and fifty years ago. And maybe even further back.”

“Murasaki’s husband is trying to infiltrate the Society’s top levels,” added Totosai, “but as of right now, he’s not having a lot of luck. And no, Higurashi-sama,” he said, looking right at Kagome as she opened her mouth, “you are not allowed to visit the Society headquarters and see what you can find. _We do not need you putting yourself in unnecessary danger again_.” He frowned. “I don’t think that your soulmate would appreciate it either.”

Kagome looked at Inuyasha; he was mouth breathing again, and his hands were opening and closing in tight fists, his claws driving into the palms of his hand.

_Promise me._

Kagome paused. _Inu—yasha_?

 _Promise me you won’t go off and do something fucking stupid without me ever again_.

Kagome relaxed into his side. _I promise._

He kissed the top of her head.

“But I have to say, Totosai, Matsushita-sama,” she added, knowing that Inuyasha’s gaze was now probably murderous, “that I am completely willing to make myself the bait for Tsubaki-sama. She’s after me; she’s not after anyone else.” Kagome grew quiet. “I know that we need to set a trap for her; I really do. I’m just—not comfortable—with the idea of using the school to catch her.”

Totosai and Sesshomaru looked at each other hesitantly. “We definitely understand your concern, Higurashi-sama,” Totosai replied slowly. “And there is definitely the possibility that she would attack the school during business hours. But we will be watching carefully, and we’ll have people in the school, as well as surrounding it at all times.”

“In addition,” Sesshomaru added smoothly, “the likelihood of Tsubasa injuring the children is minimal. She is far too invested in the future of spiritualism, and it is this one’s guess that she may threaten the school, but she will not want to harm the children. The Murasakis have been consulted, and while they also have concerns, they have given their blessing, provided they will be there to oversee the operation. And, they have children at the school.”

That gave Kagome little solace. Miroku and Sango would both be there; they would be able to protect their daughters, leaving the rest of the students to fend for themselves—or leaving Kagome, Kouga, Kaede, and Inuyasha to protect the rest of the students. The feeling of dread that washed over Kagome made her feel sick to her stomach.

 _It’s okay, Higurashi_. Inuyasha’s voice in her head was gentle. _I’m sure Totosai and my asshole brother are right. It’ll be fine. Besides, I would guess that Tsubasa won’t come near the school with so many people coming and going. She won’t want to risk it. Better to attack at the end of the day, when she thinks you are alone. When she thinks that you won’t have protection_. He smirked. _She doesn’t know you have a soulmate who has reiki and youki._

 _Then you better hurry up and learn how to use your reiki, Matsushita-san,_ she snapped back.

He chuckled and kissed the top of her head. _We’ll get there, Higurashi_ , he snickered. _Don’t worry. I’ll master it before we face off against Tsubasa._

Kagome frowned. _I don’t need you to master it, Inuyasha_ , she replied. _I just need you to be able to make a barrier so you don’t get purified and run the risk of being killed. Because_ …her voice got small _. Because I love you. And I can’t lose you._

 _Kagome._ He tipped her face up to his; her eyes were wild and pleading. _I can’t lose you either. And I’m not going anywhere_.

A clearing of a throat brought them both back to reality. Totosai and Sesshomaru were both staring at them; Sesshomaru was obviously annoyed, whereas Totosai looked astonished.

“Telepathic soulmates, eh?” Totosai said thoughtfully. “I have not seen this…well, maybe ever.”

“Usually only soulmated spiritualists have this ability, Totosai,” Kagome told him. “In our case, Inuyasha’s reiki was awakened when I was in…mortal peril…” she tried not to blanch at those words “…and it also woke our ability to communicate telepathically.” She turned to Inuyasha and smiled. “Which we do a lot of the time now.”

“And it is most annoying, miko, little brother,” said Sesshomaru, a hint of irritation in his voice. Inuyasha practically chortled with glee.

 _Are you_ trying _to torture your brother?_ Kagome’s voice was cool and icy.

Inuyasha offered her a fanged grin. _So what if I am?_

Kagome rolled her eyes, but offered Inuyasha a tiny smile. “So,” she said, turning to Sesshomaru and Totosai, “tell me what we need to do.”

“We reopen the school on Monday,” Totosai said smoothly, “and you go in, and you teach, and you do everything that you’ve been doing. Nothing different. Just be on high alert. We expect Tsubasa-sama to attack at some point during the day, most likely during a period where there are no students coming and going. There are too many people; her picture has been plastered all over the news and social media. Unless she drastically changes her appearance—”

“—which she may be able to do,” Kagome interjected.

“We will be able to spot her,” Totosai finished. “And, then we can give you fair warning.”

“Keh,” Inuyasha scoffed. “Am I the only one who thinks this isn’t gonna be easy?”

"Oh,” said Kagome, “she’ll show. Don’t worry.” She leaned over and kissed Inuyasha on the cheek; her stormy eyes swirled with determination.

“She’ll show, and we’ll be ready for her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it looks like the trap is set, but will Tsubaki spring it? Is Kagome right to be worried about using the school as the place for said trap? Will Inuyasha lose his shit over Kagome being the bait? Find out all this, and more, at the next update!
> 
> Thanks again to all of you for your patience; there are some special surprises to come in this story over the next few weeks. And thank you for for all the comments you've left over the weeks and months. I have so greatly appreciated them all; I absolutely love hearing what you think about the story, and your guesses as to what is coming next. I look forward to seeing you all back here next Sunday, for the next chapter! In the meantime, be well 💖💖💖💖


	40. The Unexpected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha takes class with Kagome. Later, an unexpected attack causes everyone to scramble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you're safe and doing well.
> 
> Welcome to the next chapter of Spirited Soulmates! We're kicking off the final arc of the story in this chapter, so hold on--I hope you enjoy what's coming!

Three days. That’s how long Inuyasha had been hanging around the spiritual school, waiting for Tsubasa Tsubaki to make her move. But so far? Nothing. Not a goddman fucking thing.

Kagome, Miroku, and Kaede had gone on with teaching their classes. Kouga continued to show up and work at the front desk, flashing Inuyasha a wide, toothy grin every time he came in, and every time Kagome paused to chat with him. Inuyasha and the wolf were pretty much okay by this point? But Inuyasha knew: Kouga still couldn’t help but stick it to him whenever the three of them were together. And Inuyasha was tolerant, but only so far.

Now Inuyasha passed his days taking spiritual classes with Kagome and Miroku, learning how to hone his reiki. It was humiliating; he was in classes with fucking kids and teenagers, and he honestly couldn’t decide which was worse. The kids looked at him adoringly, because Akemi and Akari loved on him all the time. And that was endearing, but annoying. The teens, on the other hand, couldn’t give a shit about him, except to sneer at him for being an adult in classes with kids. At this point, he would rather do _anything_ than be in those classes, but fuck, he did need to train his reiki, and _fuck_ , he did need to keep an eye on Kagome.

Inuyasha had to admit, though: the highlight of his week was guest-lecturing in Kagome and Miroku’s physical and spiritual defense class. It was their Tuesday night team-taught class, and Inuyasha came in to talk about using youki-infused attacks. He got to spar with Miroku to show the difference between youki and reiki; Inuyasha let his youki flare wildly (and _fuck_ , it felt so good to do that) and Miroku let his violet reiki fly. Their physical attacks were fierce, and Miroku wielded his shakujo expertly, but Inuyasha’s Sankon Tessou attack, combined with his reiki, sliced right through Miroku’s barrier, and once that was done, Inuyasha was able to kick his the monk pretty soundly.

But Inuyasha’s favorite part of that class was when he and Kagome got to show off their combined powers. The students settled safely behind some mats, and watched with interest as Inuyasha and Kagome aimed for a mato set up at the other end of the dojo. Inuyasha showed off Hijin Kessou, and Kagome fired a reiki-infused arrow, and then everyone ducked for cover when they blew up the mato. Plastic and straw and cardboard flew across the room, and the students oohed and aahed over the pink and red and gold light-show that their sensei and her soulmate put on for them. Even though it wasn’t a full power attack, it still felt pretty fucking good to show off what they could do. And he was really, really proud of his soulmate, who stood there, smiling calmly as the class went nuts, as though she hadn’t just shattered a mato and nearly blown up half of her own building.

That had been Tuesday, which had been the most exciting day of the week. Tonight, Wednesday, Inuyasha sat in on the spiritual defense class, and was learning how to make a barrier. With the babies. He was pissed.

The kids in the class were surprisingly good at this barrier bullshit. Miroku and Sango’s kids, in particular, were excelling at creating the bubbles that were needed to start the barriers. Some of the other kids already had barriers, while some were working on strengthening their barrier’s thickness, to better protect themselves. Inuyasha was somewhere in the middle; he could make the bubble, occasionally push the bubble outside himself, but he was struggling with keeping it steady.

Kagome, though… _fuck_.

Kagome was resplendent as a teacher. She was incredible; she was patient; she was kind; she was thoughtful. She paid careful attention to every student, and no matter where they were with creating their barriers, she had a kind compliment for each of them, and offered constructive feedback on the direction they were heading. He…he had to say that he admired her. She was a good teacher. Even with him…when he was grumbling and growling about his lack of a barrier…she was reassuring, keeping a hand on his shoulder, giving him encouragement and positive feedback about every attempt he made.

He…fuck.

(Yes, he said it again.)

He loved her.

_I love you too, Inuyasha_ , she said softly, a smile playing across her lips.

_Keh._

But he smiled at her, too.

At the end of class, Kagome walked the students through their practice for the next class, then walked them out, Inuyasha trailing along at the end of the line, Akemi and Akari each holding onto his hands. Normally Kagome would have asked them to stay in line, but she was sure that the girls were very conscious of Inuyasha’s concern and Kagome’s trepidation, and if they felt better staying close to their oji-chan, then it was fine with Kagome.

Kagome watched as Kouga signed the students out and let them go back with their parents. Sango was there to get Akemi and Akari; she gave Inuyasha a brief nod as she accepted her children from him and headed out. Inuyasha knew that the children were being taken somewhere safe by the NPA, and that Sango would soon be back to the building, waiting with them until first Kaede’s class, and then, Miroku’s class—the last class of the day—got out. Kagome circulated among the students and their parents, chatting with them lightly about the students’ progress and their potential. Inuyasha stood beside Kouga; they both watched Kagome in action and grinned.

“How—how’re you holding up, mutt?” Kouga’s voice was so soft that only another youkai could pick it up.

“Fine.” Inuyasha’s voice was curt. “I just want to get this over with. Find Tsubasa. Take her out. And I don’t care what Totosai says,” he added when Kouga looked at him, surprised. “I want to take her the _fuck_ out. For what she did to Kikyo, and for what she tried to do to Kagome.”

“I don’t blame you, mutt,” Kouga replied quietly. “I think I’d have a hard time not ripping her head off if I were you.”

Inuyasha laughed. Kouga had no clue how close he was to _exactly_ what Inuyasha wanted to do.

At long last, the final students and their parents trickled out of the room. Kagome padded up to Kouga and Inuyasha. “I’m done for the day,” she told them. “I’m going to go into the office and get some paperwork done—it’s been piling up since I haven’t really had time to process things. I need to look at how being closed affected our enrollments, and figure out what to do in order to bring enrollments back up.”

“This is not the thing to be worrying about right now, Kagome,” Kouga said seriously.

“The wolf’s right, Higurashi,” Inuyasha added. “You need to be focused on protecting yourself, not on paperwork and recruitment.”

Kagome smiled gently at them both. “It’s good to be distracted,” she said. “Kaede-obaa-chan’s class gets out in thirty minutes, and Miroku’s class gets out thirty minutes after that. Then we close for the night. And hopefully things will be quiet after that.”

Inuyasha pulled her into a fierce hug; he couldn’t help it. “I just want everything to be quiet again, Inuyasha,” she said simply, burying her face in his chest.

“Keh,” he replied, kissing the top of her head, “it’s gonna be okay.”

“It will, Kagome,” Kouga assured her. “We’re all here for you.” He and Inuyasha exchanged a hard look over Kagome’s head.

Kagome pulled away from Inuyasha. “I’ll be in the office if either of you need me,” she said. “And I will be _fine_ ,” she added, when Inuyasha let out a soft snarl. “I’m just down the hall. Stay and do your bonding, or whatever it is you two have been up to lately.” She kissed Inuyasha on the cheek, then leaned across the desk to ruffle Kouga’s hair. He growled at her in response, and she giggled before turning and going back down the hall to the larger office.

“She’s gonna be the death of me, isn’t she?” Inuyasha grumbled, leaning back on the desk and crossing his arms.

Kouga chuckled. “You have no fucking idea, mutt. _No_ idea.” 

* * *

Kagome was not really paying attention when she opened the door to the office. She was thinking about Inuyasha: about their days, their nights (their _nights_ ), and how happy she was, even though there was a constant feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach that told her the bottom was about to drop out under her, at any moment.

She smiled, thinking about how they had worked so well together in class the night before. She loved working with him; she loved being able to merge her reiki with his youki _and_ reiki. They had used it to save her life; they had used it to defeat Tsuji Onigumo and save her miko friends; and now, they were using it to teach. And she _loved_ it. She knew that Inuyasha wouldn’t be happy working at a school, teaching kids and teens, but maybe occasionally she could convince him to do it? Because any chance to team up with her soulmate—any at all—she wanted to jump all over and hold onto, tightly.

Because she loved him. A lot.

How was it possible to be so in love, so quickly after meeting a person? She guessed that was what soulmates were, but every second of every moment of every day that she spent with Matsushita Inuyasha just made her fall more, and more, and more deeply in love.

Kagome closed the door to the office, thinking about what sorts of incredible things she would get to do to him when they got home.

“Well, Kagome-sama,” said an all-too familiar voice, “all finished with your teaching for the evening?”

In the second before Kagome turned around, she sent out a message to Inuyasha.

_Get everyone out. She’s here. In the office. NOW.  
_ _I love you_.

Kagome slowly swiveled her body to face the conference table, her hand still on the doorknob.

“Oh,” said Tsubasa Tsubaki, “I don’t think you will want to try and escape, Kagome-sama. As you can see, I have some friends here with me who will make sure to chase you down in the school proper. And you don’t want to put your students at risk, do you?”

_Noted. Hang tight. Will be with you soon.  
_ _Love you too. Don’t do anything stupid._

Kagome turned a laugh into a cry, and let go of the door handle. She fully turned to face the woman who had orchestrated her kidnapping and the attempted stealing of her reiki, her attempted murder, and the murdering and stealing of reiki from countless miko before her.

“Tsubaki-sama,” Kagome said slowly, evenly, “to what do I owe this pleasure?”

Tsubasa Tsubaki was sitting at the conference table—at Kagome’s place too, the _bitch_ —her long silver hair (not as thick or as beautiful as Inuyasha’s) tied back in a bun. Her dark brown eyes peered out at Kagome from below heavy lids and full eyelashes—even at her age (which, whatever that was) Kagome had to admit that Tsubaki-sama was beautiful.

Behind Tsubaki-sama were two men: one tall, and bald, with blue bandana covering his lack of hair. His eyes were beady—small—and his features delicate. He was almost handsome, if he hadn’t been scowling.

The other man was the one who gave Kagome involuntary shivers. He was short, and also bald; a white bandana covered his head. His face was horribly scarred; he wore large, coke-bottle glasses, and when he smiled at Kagome, she could see he was missing several teeth.

“Renkotsu, Mukotsu,” Tsubaki-sama said calmly, “why don’t you help Kagome-sama to her seat?”

“I can find a seat myself, thank you,” Kagome said abruptly, ignoring the men and making her way to the conference table. She sank down into a seat, trying very hard not to show her terror. She took a deep breath and turned to look Tsubaki-sama in the face, steadying her nerves, drawing on all her strength to stay calm. The men stayed back behind Tsubaki-sama; now that she was closer, she noticed that the shorter of the two carried a cooler, the kind that had a strap and that could be slung over one’s shoulder.

“I appreciate you joining us alone here, Kagome-sama,” said Tsubaki silkily, folding her hands and leaning on her elbows on the table. “I thought for sure your attack dog would be following you, loyal pup that he is.”

“My _soulmate_ can do whatever he wants,” Kagome said evenly, trying desperately not to let Tsubaki-sama insult her into making any mistakes. She had to hold on until Inuyasha could get to her; she had to hold on until the NPA and the Youkai Council could infiltrate the building. She could hear Inuyasha’s voice in her head.

_Keep her talking. Don’t give her any hint that you and I can communicate._

“So…how did you get in here, anyway?” Kagome asked, keeping her voice light. “You must know that the school is heavily guarded.”

_She’s not alone_ , Kagome told Inuyasha. _Two men with her. Never seen them before. Human, I think_.

“I am perfectly aware of the NPA and the Youkai Council’s attempts to thwart me, Kagome-sama,” Tsubaki-sama replied. “In fact, I believe that Totosai and the Lord of the West themselves are outside, waiting for my appearance.” She sighed and rested her head in her folded hands. “Looks like they will be waiting a long time, won’t they, Kagome-sama? And by the time they figure out what’s going on, we’ll be long gone.”

“How do you think that you’ll be able to take me with you?” Kagome asked. “You’ve got two humans with you, and if I’m being frank here, they don’t look like they can do anything much against me. So it’s just you, and me, and now that I’m soulmated to Inuyasha, I’m much more powerful than I was.” She hesitated. Should she say it? Try to goad her? Push her?

“I’m sure that I’m even much more powerful than you.” Kagome let out a little smile.

Tsubaki-sama looked startled for a moment, and then began to laugh. And laugh. And _laugh_. Kagome watched her, a thin vein of concern seeping into her countenance as Tsubaki turned red and continued to chortle enthusiastically.

“Oh, Kagome-sama,” Tsubaki-sama said at last, gasping and wiping tears from her eyes. “You are too funny. You honestly think that you are more powerful than me?” She turned to Mukotsu, who smiled slowly, revealing the gaping holes in his teeth, and then began to open the zippered cooler.

Kagome was suddenly aware that she was being held firmly in her seat by her shoulders. She turned her face upwards; the taller man had her by the shoulders. _Fuck!_ While she was distracted the _human_ had gotten to her.

“Kagome-sama,” said Tsubaki-sama slowly, as the short man reached into his cooler, “soon we will see who is the most powerful. And I think,” she said, taking a vial from the short man, “you will see…that it will be me.” 

* * *

Inuyasha was pacing the length of the lobby. Back and forth. Back and forth. Impatient. Waiting. His ears were trained on towards the back of the building, listening for Kagome, waiting for Kagome, ready to go back and get Kagome.

Kouga chuckled. “She’ll be back, mutt,” he said. “Don’t worry.”

“Should I go back there?” Inuyasha wondered aloud. He was worried. He didn’t like her being out of his sight, even for one second.

“Give her some time,” Kouga suggested. He leaned back in his seat and offered Inuyasha a fanged grin. “Let her have a little space. I think that you’ll find that she appreciates it.”

“Keh,” Inuyasha said. “She doesn’t need to be…”

_Get everyone out. She’s here. In the office. NOW._

Inuyasha stilled. “Kouga,” he said in a deathly quiet, still voice. Kouga looked up at Inuyasha.

“What is it?” Kouga asked.

_I love you_.

“Out,” Inuyasha snapped. “we get everyone out, right fucking now.” He dashed off a quick text to Totosai— _She’s fucking here, we fucking missed her, get your ass in here NOW_ —and then stalked down to the herbal remedies class, where Kaede was teaching. He slid the door open so hard that it clattered against the runner.

Kaede was explaining the properties of reed mace to a class of about ten eager preteens and teenagers; they looked up when the door was shoved open to see Inuyasha there, his chest heaving, his face the perfect picture of rage.

“Out,” he growled. “ _Fucking out. Now_.”

Kaede looked at him, her face oddly calm. “It’s time, isn’t it?” she said quietly.

“What? What the fuck are you talking about?” Why was she being so fucking calm? Why the _fuck_ did people not listen to him? Fucking _ever_?

Kaede eyed him coolly, then turned to her students. “All right, class,” she said briskly, “we’re finished early tonight. We’ll conclude our lesson at the next meeting,” she added at the groans around the room. She turned his gaze to Inuyasha. “I would assume that there are people who will get the children where they need to be?”

Inuyasha grunted. “Hells if I know,” he said. “But we need to get everyone outside yesterday, obaba. Let’s fucking move.”

“You heard Matsushita-san,” said Kaede, “outside, now. Pack your belongings and let’s go.” As the students collected their things, Kaede shot Inuyasha a Look. He nodded once; Kaede’s face grew hard with resolve, her one good eye firm and angry. She rushed the students out the room, then paused to remain behind with Inuyasha.

“She has Kagome.” It was more of a statement than a question. Inuyasha nodded again. Kaede sighed. “We should have been smarter,” she said. “We should have expected this. _I_ should have expected this.”

“You couldn’t have predicted shit, obaba,” he grunted. 

“You would be surprised, Matsushita-san,” she replied. “Tsubaki and I…” She trailed off, a faraway look in her eyes.

Inuyasha didn’t have time for this. Whatever was going on in the old woman’s head, he could care less. Right now, his priority was getting everyone the _fuck_ out, and getting to Kagome.

“Listen,” Inuyasha said sharply. “Get the kids outside. Get Totosai and Murasaki. My fool brother. We don’t know what we’re up against.”

“Tsubaki never works alone,” Kaede warned him. “We must proceed with caution.”

“Fine.” Great. Whatever. He was still gonna rip Tsubasa Tsubaki’s head off.

“I’ll be back. Go see Miroku. _Don’t do anything stupid, Matsushita.”_ Kaede hobbled off down the hall after her students.

Inuyasha took a deep breath and crossed the hall to the dojo. He slid the door open. Miroku was in there, practicing physical defense with his last class of the day. The students were practicing with a variety of weaponry—everything from shakujo to naginata. Miroku was walking among the students, shouting out different moves, watching them carefully. At the sound of the dojo door sliding open, Miroku and his class looked up.

“Oi, bouzu,” Inuyasha said harshly. “We have to move. _NOW_.”

Miroku got his point much faster than Kaede did. “All right everyone,” he said sharply. “Class is over for the evening. Pack up your belongings, and we’ll have Moriyama-sama sign you all out. I will escort you outside; you will need to contact your parents and guardians and have them come get you from the location where you will be taken. No arguments,” he added when students began to voice their protest. “No arguments.”

The students sullenly set down their weapons, and put their belongings in their bag. Inuyasha watched as Miroku encouraged his students to finish up their cleaning, very quickly, and he escorted them out of the room, Inuyasha taking up the rear.

Inuyasha closed the sliding door to the dojo, then perked his ears towards the end of the hall—towards Kagome, and the office, and Tsubasa Tsubaki. He paused, his hand on the door handle, his entire being lit up with awareness and observation.

What could he fucking tell? What could he detect?

Two reiki signatures—Kagome and Tsubasa. And the smell of…was it sulfur?

Just what in the hells was happening in there?

Inuyasha whipped out his phone and dashed off a text to his brother. _They’re not alone in there_ , he said. _I’m going in. Office is at the end of the hall. Come in with all you got_.

He took a step towards the door, growling softly, his claws cracked and ready to tear the door down, when a familiar voice in his head stopped him.

_Don’t do it, anata. I can tell you’re outside the door. They will be coming out…with me.  
_ _Don’t do ANYTHING._

There was a pause, and then once more sentence:

_Trust me_.

Inuyasha gripped his palms so tightly that he drew blood. He backed away slowly from the office door, then turned and ran towards the main lobby.

Sesshomaru, Totosai, Kouga, Miroku, Sango, Kaede. All there. All waiting for him. Watching him closely.

All waiting for _Kagome_.

“She’s coming out,” Inuyasha said bluntly. He paced in front of his friends, his family, twisting his hands in his hair.

“She’s coming out, and something’s wrong. Really, _really_ wrong.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Tsubaki has Kagome, and Inuyasha is (ofc) freaking out. What will happen next? Find out in the next update, and as always, thanks everyone for reading!


	41. Inuyasha's Barrier

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsubasa Tsubaki begins to reveal her plans, while Inuyasha makes a revelation of his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you're safe and doing well.
> 
> Welcome to the next chapter of Spirited Soulmates! We are about the get into the final battle, where there are still a few surprises to be revealed. I hope you enjoy what's coming! I so enjoyed putting together these final chapters for you.

Five, then ten, then fifteen minutes clicked by.

Inuyasha wanted to fucking trust his soulmate—he really fucking did—but the longer the seconds ticked into minutes, the longer they stood in the lobby, waiting for them, the more Inuyasha wanted to barrel down the hall and tear open that door so he could rip Tsubasa Tsubaki and whoever the _fuck_ was in there with her to shreds. Because he was really fucking scared. He was scared for Kagome; he was scared for himself; he was scared for _them_.

What was she doing in there? How much longer would he have to wait?

“Mutt,” said Kouga, his own face pale and resolute, “calm the _fuck_ down. Kagome can detect your energy. She knows that you’re agitated and impatient. You have to try and relax. You have to trust her. And believe me,” he added with Inuyasha snarled, “I know how hard this is. But she’s gonna figure it out.”

“And when she comes out here, Inuyasha,” added Miroku, his hands clutching his shakujo tightly, “we’ll be ready. We’re here to help her.”

“All of us,” said Sango, her face tightly set.

They all looked down the hall, waiting.

“Tsubasa Tsubaki is not going to go down easy,” Kaede said suddenly. “She is going to try and blast us all to hell—she’s not going to let Kagome go, and she’s not going to go down without a real fight. If it means her own death for her to win? She’ll take that risk.”

“Why is she after Kagome, obaba?” asked Inuyasha. “What does Kagome have that she wants?”

“Soulmated reiki,” Kaede said simply. “She thinks she’s the only one who should be allowed to have it.” She paused, her face dark. “She wants to be the most powerful,” she added. “She has always been swayed by the power and responsibility of her position. It has made her, and countless spiritualists before her, drunk with power and with greed.” Her eyes seemed far away again and...relentlessly sad.

“But to have soulmate powers, that would mean that she was...soulmated?” Miroku couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Yes,” Kaede replied, “she was...once.”

“So what happened?” Miroku persisted. “Did her soulmate die, and she somehow lived? And that’s why she hates all soulmates mikos now?”

“No,” Kaede said, “her soulmate didn’t die. Her soulmate...was rejected.”

“What?” Miroku was incredulous; Inuyasha growled softly. “How can someone reject their soulmate?”

Kaede opened her mouth to answer, but a massive blast from the end of the hall made them all jump, and Inuyasha raced off down the hall, a howl ripping from his throat as he ran. No call could bring him back; no cries or warnings could stall him. All that was on his mind was Kagome; all that he could think about was getting to his soulmate.

Before he could get very far, a small figure came flying right at him, nearly tackling him as small arms went around his waist and knocked him backwards. He instinctively wrapped his arms around the figure; the scent was, of course, familiar, but wracked with fear.

“Hi—Higurashi?”

Kagome’s tear-stained face looked up at him, her stormy eyes wide with terror. She pawed at him.

“Oh, Inuyasha,” she said breathlessly, “we need to _get the fuck back_. Now!”

Another blast from the direction of the office blew them both backwards towards the lobby, fire and smoke and ash billowing down the hall. Kagome screamed; Inuyasha’s body curled around hers when they blew backwards and hit the tatami with a massive _thwack_ , Inuyasha’s head snapping back as they hit the ground.

The smoke filled the entire lobby; everyone was coughing, and Inuyasha felt Kagome’s hands, reaching up for his face.

“Hi—Higurashi,” he coughed, and Kagome kissed him, deeply, roughly, both of them tensing up at the feeling of their lips touching.

“Barrier,” she whispered, and threw her arms up around them both, creating a barrier. Inuyasha closed his eyes, and allowed his youki and reiki to flow forth and join Kagome’s reiki. Together, they created a thick, strong barrier that swept away the smoke and left their vision clear.

With Kagome still wrapped up in his arms, Inuyasha rolled to standing. They turned slowly, towards the hallway, and Kagome let out a little, terrified scream and buried her face in Inuyasha’s chest.

As the smoke slowly cleared, they could finally see: Tsubasa Tsubaki, her hair loose and wild, her right hand raised, swirling the smoke around. Renkotsu and Mukotsu stood close behind; Mukotsu still holding the cooler close by. Renkotsu carried a gourd; when he lifted it to his lips, Inuyasha growled and took a jump back.

“Everyone get down!” Inuyasha bellowed. Sango grabbed Miroku and yanked him to the ground; Kouga and Totosai dropped to their bellies; Kaede raised a barrier to protect herself. Only Sesshomaru stood there, nonplussed, looking around him in disgust as everyone else collapsed around him.

Renkotsu pulled the gourd away from his lips and blew, hard. Massive flames shot from his lips and radiated across the room, over the heads of everyone on the ground. Sesshomaru stood and allowed the flames to cover his body. With a flick of his wrist, he blew the flames away.

Renkotsu closed his mouth and the flames subsided. Inuyasha perked his head up, saw the flames were over, and tugged Kagome to her feet. He pushed her behind him.

“Everyone up!” he barked, and the others slowly got to their feet.

Tsubasa Tsubaki smiled slowly. “Taking control of the situation, Matsushita-san?” she smirked. “Wouldn’t your brother have something to say about your trying to usurp his alpha status?”

Inuyasha took deep breaths, refusing to let Tsubasa get to him. “Aren’t you trying to do the same, Tsubasa?” he shot back, holding Kagome firmly in place. She started to thrash about.

_Let me go, Inuyasha_.

_Keh. Not a fucking chance in hell. I’m gonna protect you this time._

“Perhaps if you met my friends, Matsushita-san,” Tsubasa Tsubaki said, “you might not be so cocky.” She turned slightly to the men at her side. “My tall friend with the fire gourd is Renkotsu; he’s a master of fire and explosions, and now you know how we got into the building tonight. And my short friend is Mukotsu; he’s a master of potions, and a master of something else too, that I hope you will enjoy getting to see.” Mukotsu smiled slowly, and Inuyasha blanched at his grotesque smile and missing teeth.

“Why are you here?” Inuyasha barked. He was trying to be calm, but also? These guys were weird, and creepy, and pissed him off.

“You know why I’m here, Matsushita-san,” Tsubasa said. “I’m here for your soulmate.”

“And you’re not gonna get me, you bitch!” Kagome snapped back, flipping herself around and pointing directly at Tsubasa. She pressed her back up against Inuyasha; he got a rush of her scent, and he instantly became aroused and growled at his own body’s betrayal.

_Inuyasha_ , Kagome snipped, _REALLY?_

He pinched her ass subtly in response and she let out a little yelp.

“Oh,” commented Tsubasa, “I think I will.” She turned to Mukotsu. “Mukotsu, if you please.” Mukotsu smiled that awful smile again, and opened his cooler. He pulled out several vials, and handed one to Tsubasa. Tsubasa took it from him, and turned back to Kagome and Inuyasha.

“Do you know what this is, Kagome-sama?” Tsubasa asked. Kagome stared back at her levelly, but refused to engage. Tsubasa held the vial out in Kagome and Inuyasha’s direction, then towards Miroku, Sango, Kaede, Kouga, and Sesshomaru, and then back to Kagome and Inuyasha. Tsubasa smiled. “Can you guess, Kagome-sama?”

Kouga let out a low growl; Sango immediately put her hand on her weapon. And Kagome knew.

“Reiki,” she said. “It’s reiki, isn’t it?”

“Good girl,” Tsubasa complimented her. “And do you know _whose_ reiki this is?”

“Kikyo-sama,” Kagome replied. “Right?”

Inuyasha let out a low growl and moved his hand inside his jacket to grab his firearm.

_Hush_ , Kagome told him. _It’s okay._

_It’s not fucking okay, Higurashi_. She could _feel_ the anger radiating off him; his youki was turning a deep, dark red.

“How did you do this, Tsubaki-sama?” Miroku asked suddenly, drawing the attention away from Inuyasha and Kagome. “How did you take Kikyo-sama’s reiki and put it into a vial?”

“That’s for me to know, Murasaki-sama,” she shot back easily, “and you _not_ to know.” Tsubasa smiled. “Although, do you know why I have this? Do you know what I intend to do with it?”

Miroku looked at Kagome; she shrugged her shoulders. Neither of them had considered the fact that Tsubasa might be using the stolen reiki for anything other than giving it over to Tsuji Onigumo. But now…

“I know why you have Kikyo’s reiki, Tsubaki,” said a gravelly voice. Everyone’s heads swiveled around slowly; Kaede was standing steady, an arrow nocked in her bow, pointing right at Tsubasa’s heart. “I know _everything_ ,” she hissed.

Tsubasa laughed. “Kaede-sama,” she said, “how lovely to see you. I didn’t even notice you were here; you’re so tiny and insignificant.”

Kagome growled, and Inuyasha held her tighter. _Not now, Higurashi_.

_Fuck that_ , she replied immediately. _Tsubaki-sama better not threaten Kaede, or I’ll…_

He kissed her hair. _I know. Me too_.

Kagome may have been raging about Tsubasa’s remarks, but Kaede stood still, and firm, her bow and arrow steady. “I wasn’t so tiny and insignificant when you asked me about my niece’s soulmate, was I?” she asked harshly. “When you asked me about Nazuna, and who her soulmate was, and how if I thought that Nazuna would keep up with her studies?” Kaede laughed. “I was a fool,” she said. “I was a fool then, giving you all the answers that you wanted. For thinking that things between us had changed. And I’m sure you think that I’m a fool now.” She shook her head. “I’m no fool, Tsubaki,” she added. “I know _exactly_ what you’ve done, and what you’ve done with Nazuna’s reiki, and what you plan to do with Kikyo’s reiki.”

Tsubasa laughed; it was deep, and dark, and made shivers run through Kagome’s spine. “And what do I plan to do with Kikyo-sama’s reiki?” she asked Kaede.

“Consume it,” she replied simply. “You plan to consume it, and increase your power. That’s what you did with Nazuna; that’s what you’ve been doing off and on, with the reiki the Society steals from mated mikos; that’s what you plan to do, right now, with Kikyo’s.”

Kagome gasped, and Miroku held onto Sango for support, his eyes wide, his face pale. Kouga and Inuyasha growled; Totosai closed his eyes and then opened them in disbelief. Only Sesshomaru seemed unperturbed.

“You—you can’t do that,” Kagome said quietly.

“She can’t,” replied Miroku. “It’s impossible.”

“Is it really?” Tsubasa said, her laugh now becoming a manic cackle. “Why is it so impossible?” She looked at Miroku. “I’ll ask you, since Kagome-sama’s prowess only extends as far as her reiki, and not to her mind.” Kagome tried to rip herself out of Inuyasha’s arms; it took all he had to keep her still but not hurt her. “Why can’t we consume the reiki of other spiritualists?”

Miroku thought for a moment. One of Sango’s hands left her firearm to squeeze his arm, then immediately returned back to the trigger. He sighed. “Theoretically, if we go on what the Society has been doing, then _yes_ , I suppose one could consume a spiritualist's reiki,” he reasoned. “But…why would you want to do that? It basically amounts to cannibalism, doesn’t it? Do you want to consume the reiki of your fellow spiritualists? Of your fellow _mikos_?” His deep violet reiki was beginning to swirl around him in his anger; his eyes flashed, and his short ponytail was picked up and danced in the wind his reiki was creating.

“Calm down, Miroku-sama,” Tsubasa said easily, now taking the vial and popping the rubber stopper. “It’s not like we’re all perfect, is it? It’s not like we don’t all have vices. It’s not like we don’t all crave power. Look at you and Kagome-sama, for instance,” she added. “Your spiritual school. It’s popular. You’re making lots of money, I’m sure.” Kagome snorted and muttered something that sounded like “not fucking likely,” but Tsubasa merely smiled. “And like Kagome-sama, with the Human-Youkai Treaty.” She turned to Kagome. “You can’t tell me that you did that out of the goodness of your heart,” she said to her. “You did that because you wanted the glory of being the consulted miko. It’s always about power. _Always_.”

“I did _that_ ,” countered Kagome through gritted teeth, “as a favor to Kouga. I did it because _he asked me to_. And I did it because I knew that it was the right thing to do. Not because it would net me some kind of glory.” Kagome’s voice was rising higher and higher; she was getting properly riled up; her reiki, like Miroku’s, was now starting to spike in anger. “Did I continue in politics after the treaty was signed? Did I try to compete for some kind of high power? No—I went and opened a fucking school, and it gives me more pride and satisfaction than anything else I’ve ever done in my life. I am _happy_ here. I am _happy_ teaching children. The Treaty makes it so that everyone will be safe, and so that we can safely train little spiritualists to use their power. I do _not_ want anything else in my life: me, my school, my soulmate.” She looked up at Inuyasha; he was still gripping her tightly, but he flashed her a small smile. “That’s all I need, Tsubaki-sama,” she said firmly. “How about you?”

“That’s a sweet speech, Kagome-sama,” replied Tsubaki, “but a bit too late for speeches, don’t you think?” She popped open the vial and held it up. “Next question, Miroku-sama,” she said to Miroku. “What do you think will happen if I drink this?”

Inuyasha growled; Kaede drew her bow string taut. Miroku stared hard at Tsubasa, trying to figure out her thinking.

“You’ll—absorb Kikyo-sama’s powers?” he guessed.

“Very good, Miroku-sama,” said Tsubaki, and she really did sound surprised. “At least Kikyo-sama’s power will continue on in someone, somehow.”

“That’s not what Kikyo would want, you bitch, and you know it,” Inuyasha growled. _What do we do?_ he asked Kagome.

Kagome’s eyes scanned the room. _Watch Kaede_ , she said. _She will tell us what we need to do_.

Inuyasha followed Kagome’s eyes to Kaede, who was still standing, patient, her arrow nocked and the bow string taut. She saw that Tsubasa’s eyes were fixated on Kaede, even as she answered Inuyasha. It was almost like…

_No_. Kagome shook her head to get rid of the thought. There was no way…

_There was no way they were communicating telepathically right now. That would mean..._

“What Kikyo-sama wants now is a moot point, Matsushita-san,” Tsubasa said calmly. “Her reiki is mine, and I get to say what’s going to be done with it.”

_On Kaede’s mark, Inuyasha_ , Kagome said. _Grab it._

Inuyasha growled softly and separated himself from Kagome quietly, subtly, and moved himself into a silent attack position.

“It’s not a moot point, Tsubaki-sama,” said Kagome quietly, still watching her and Kaede closely. The two of them stood stock-still, watching each other, still appearing to communicate with each other. Kagome shook her head to clear out her thoughts. She needed to stay focused; she needed to pay close attention to Kaede for her move, not for her supposed telepathic connection with Tsubaki. 

“Kikyo’s reiki is still Kikyo’s,” Kagome continued, “even if you consume it, it will still be hers. And I would not be surprised to see it try like hell to fight its way back to her.” She paused, and looked at Miroku. He nodded. “You can’t separate a spiritualist from their reiki without it having devastating effects, Tsubaki-sama,” Kagome added. “You know this; you’ve been stealing reiki from mikos for how long now? Years? Surely you would know that reiki is an extension of a person; it’s like cutting off a part of their soul. It’s like cutting off a part of their very being. I said this to Bankotsu, and I’ll say it to you: it’s no wonder those mikos died. Their bodies had been stripped of something so vital there was no way that they were going to be able to survive without it. It’s like missing your lungs, or your heart. You literally can’t live.” Her eyes narrowed; she saw a flash of Kaede pulling the arrow back into the bow string just a hair further. “So we aren’t going to let you take Kikyo-sama’s reiki, or the reiki of any other miko. We’re going to take it back from you, and you’re going to be held accountable for everything you have done.” She paused. “Everything you have done to me. To Kikyo-sama. To all of us.”

Kaede howled and let her arrow fly. Tsubasa shrieked, and dropped the vial so that she could throw up a barrier and block the arrow. As soon as she did, Inuyasha took off, closing the space between himself and Tsubasa so quickly he was no more than a flash of red and gold. He busted through Tsubasa’s barrier, grabbed the vial, and, in a heated moment of decision, punched her solidly in the face. Tsubasa bellowed her fury and hurled a massive jolt of reiki at Inuyasha, but he merely repelled it with a flick of his wrist, his own reiki forming a brief barrier to protect him from Tsubasa’s attack.

Tsubasa fell to the ground as Inuyasha jumped back to Kagome’s side, tucking Kikyo’s reiki safely inside his inside jacket pocket and zipping it firmly. She grabbed her nose; blood was gushing from it; Inuyasha had broken her nose.

“When,” she shrieked, her voice deep and muffled from her blood and her pain, “how—when did you learn to block a reiki attack, Matsushita-san?”

Inuyasha flicked his wrist again; a gorgeous gold and red barrier formed in front of him and Kagome. “Oh,” he said casually, “I guess I picked up a few things here and there from my soulmate, the best fucking teacher and the most powerful miko in all of Japan, when she awakened my own reiki at Naraku Industries.”

Tsubasa scrambled back against the wall; her hand was pressed over her face as she tried to heal her nose. “How in the name of all the gods is that possible?” she screeched. “There’s no way! How could Matsushita have youki _and_ reiki? It’s impossible! There are _no_ hanyou with youki and reiki alive!”

“Oh,” replied Kagome, “weren’t you just talking about possibilities, Tsubaki-sama?” A huge grin spread across her face. “Because you know, it’s not just a possibility. It’s a fact. Inuyasha has reiki, _and_ he’s my soulmate, _and_ I awakened his reiki. Oh,” she added, pulling aside her miko robes and showing off her huge bite, which had by now faded into a dull, red, pulsing point on her shoulder, “we’re mated: soulmate _and_ youkai style.” Her grin grew even wide. “So you better watch out, Tsubaki-sama,” she said, “because we’re gonna fuck you up, and you’re gonna go down.”

Tsubasa moved her hand away from her face; her nose was still red, but seemed largely healed. “Oh, Kagome-sama,” Tsubasa said, “I’m so terribly—” and she _did_ sound sorry? “—but I’m afraid that’s not going to happen today.”

_What the fuck is she talking about, Higurashi_?

Kagome frowned. _I don’t know…she’s…her energy is changing_ …

A sudden realization hit Kagome. “Everyone, take cover!” she screamed. “You too, Sesshomaru-sama! _NOW_!” She threw up a barrier to protect her and Inuyasha, and grabbed him around the waist and threw him to the ground.

Because at that moment, a massive jolt of reiki, mixed with Renkotsu’s fire, and a ghastly, green gas, filled the room.

Kagome and Inuyasha held tightly to each other; their barrier was protecting them both, but the haze from Tsubasa’s combined attack made it really fucking hard to see anything. Kagome coughed, and disentangled herself enough from Inuyasha to try and look around, so she could see what was happening.

And then she was being separated from Inuyasha—their hands were ripped apart—their barrier broke, 

_Hi—Higurashi._

That was all he could say, all he could get out, before he went completely silent, and Kagome was left on the ground, a hysterical, sobbing mess.

“Inuyasha!” she screamed. “Inuyasha! Holy fuck, Tsubaki-sama, _what do you want with Inuyasha_?”

Tsubasa’s face appeared suddenly, a few centimeters from Kagome’s own. “He’s a _hanyou_ with reiki, Kagome-sama,” she said softly. “You know what that means. You know what we have to do.”

Kagome’s stomach dropped. “ _NO_ ,” she screamed, “ _NO! INUYASHA!”_

And everything in Kagome’s world suddenly went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where is Inuyasha? What happened to Kagome? What are Tsubasa Tsubaki's plans? Find out all this, and more, at the next update! And as always, thanks everyone so much for reading!


	42. Burn It All Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang works together to save Inuyasha.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you're safe and doing well.
> 
> Welcome to the next chapter of Spirited Soulmates! In this chapter, Kagome gets to be really badass, with a little help from her friends. We're also going to find out what happened to Inuyasha... 🤔🤔🤔🤔 I hope that you enjoy!

“Miko.” A voice. Kagome heard a voice from the void, pulling her back to reality.

“ _Miko._ ” The voice was more insistent now. “You have to get up. Inuyasha...he needs you.”

Kagome opened her eyes. Sesshomaru was standing over her, his back to her; he was flicking away the flames that had engulfed the lobby of her school.

Of her school. Of her beautiful, beloved _school_.

Kagome’s eyes threatened to fill with tears, but she wouldn’t allow them. NO. She would not allow herself to cry.

Not today. Not when Tsubaki-sama was threatening to take away everything that she cared about. Her friends. Her school. Her reiki.

_Inuyasha_.

Her voice went out, looking for him, trying to seek him out among all the flames. It was hot— _so hot_ —and she found that she couldn’t see anyone else besides Sesshomaru, who was currently keeping her safe. She threw up a barrier around herself and pulled herself to standing, wincing as she stood on her right leg. Something there wasn’t right, but she didn’t have time to figure out what that was.

She needed to find Inuyasha.

_Where are you, anata?_ She was trying to keep the desperation out of her voice.

“The dark miko has him,” Sesshomaru said simply, as though he could hear her thoughts. “This one supposes that she couldn’t let a hanyou with reiki continue to exist, and she needed to end him herself.” 

Kagome felt instantly sick to her stomach, and immediately took deep breaths to keep herself from vomiting.The thing she’d dreaded most—that she’s feared most— _Inuyasha being taken for his reiki_ —it was happening. 

She—she had to stay calm. In control. For Inuyasha. And _them_. 

“Is Tsubaki-sama still here?” Kagome demanded. Sesshomaru looked down at her disdainfully, paused, and looked back at her.

“She is.”

“We need to find her, Sesshomaru.” Why were they delaying? _Where the fuck was Inuyasha_?

“Tsubasa has put up a barrier between us and her,” Sesshomaru informed her. “We need a way to put out these flames.”

Kagome thought for a moment. “There’s a fire extinguisher behind the desk,” she said suddenly, then turned and tried to fight her way through the flames to get to it. A rough hand on her arm stopped her.

“What did the mutt and I tell you about going headfirst into danger, Kagome?”

Kagome turned and nearly collapsed with relief. “Kouga!”

The Lords of the East and West stood side by side, looking at her with hardened eyes, blue and gold, Kouga’s hand still clutching her bicep. “You stay here with Sesshomaru,” he told her fiercely. “I’m gonna go get the fire extinguisher. Although I don’t know how much good it will do.”

Kagome suddenly had an idea. “Get it, Kouga,” she said, “and I’ll make it good enough.”

He nodded at her, and disappeared into the flames. Kagome turned to Sesshomaru. “Miroku?” she asked. “Where are Miroku and the others?”

Sesshomaru merely glared at her. “They are none of this one’s concern,” he said simply. “The only human this one is obligated to protect is you. You are family.”

Kagome didn’t know whether to hug him or punch him. “Great,” she said, “thanks. But I need Miroku. I don’t know if I have enough power on my own, and if I do, it may be uncontrollable. I need him, Sesshomaru-sama.”

Sesshomaru nearly let out a sigh of frustration. “Fine,” he said, and also disappeared into the flames.

“Where did Sesshomaru go?” Kouga was already back by her side, holding up the extinguisher. He growled. “I can’t believe that bastard left you alone.”

“It was my idea, Kouga,” Kagome said quietly. “I need Miroku if we’re going to do this.”

“I’m right here, Kagome,” said a rough male voice, accentuated by several hacking coughs. Kagome turned, and this time she _did_ hug her friend. “Miroku,” she said, “you’re okay.”

He nodded. “My wife is very good at hiding behind me when I create a barrier,” he said. “She’s currently with Kaede and Totosai. Sesshomaru-sama said you needed me.”

Kagome looked around at all of them; Sesshomaru was back to keeping the flames at bay, but he turned one golden eye on her, as if to say, _don’t take all day, miko_. She smirked at him in response, and she could have sworn he rolled his eyes at her.

_Inuyasha_? She had to try one more time, but all was still silent. Kagome knew he was probably unconscious, and prayed to all the gods in heaven that it wasn’t worse than that.

“Okay,” she said. “Kouga, you’re gonna aim the fire extinguisher at the flames. I’m gonna channel my reiki into the extinguisher to extend its life and its distance. Miroku, I need you to make sure that I don’t go too crazy and blow the whole building up. Sesshomaru-sama,” she called, and Sesshomaru briefly turned his face to hers. “When the flames clear, can you get Inuyasha for me?” Her eyes narrowed. “I’m going after Tsubaki-sama.”

“Now, hold on, Kagome,” both Kouga and Miroku said at the same time.

“ _No one_ is stopping me,” she hissed. “Do you get that? She took my soulmate right out from under me. I will _kill_ her.” She paused. “This ends today. No more taking of mikos’ reiki; no more killing; no more of it. It’s time.” She looked at her friends. “Are you with me?” They both nodded. Kouga raised the extinguisher, and they moved to stand next to Sesshomaru. “Sango!” Kagome called into the flames. “You and Totosai have your weapons ready!”

“Way to warn the enemy, Kagome,” Kouga murmured.

“Keh,” she replied. “I don’t give a _fuck_. They have my soulmate. Nothing matters but Inuyasha.” She paused. “And the future of every female spiritualist on earth, I guess.” She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and rested her hands on the fire extinguisher’s body. “Ready?” she said to Miroku and Kouga. They both nodded. Kagome set her jaw. “We go on your mark, Kouga,” she said to him.

“Right,” he said, wrapping his hands around the extinguisher nozzle to hold it steady. “You’re not gonna purify me, are you?”

Kagome shook her head. “I don’t think so? But I wouldn’t touch the body of it, just to be on the safe side.”

Kouga and Miroku exchanged a look, but said nothing.

“Fine,” Kouga grunted. “On the count of three.”

“One.” Kagome started firing up her reiki in her hands.

“Two.” Miroku put his hands on Kagome’s shoulders and squeezed hard, his own reiki starting to swirl around them both.

“Three!” Kouga unleashed the jets of coolant onto the fire. Kagome screamed and poured all that she had into the extinguisher’s body. Miroku held her steady, his reiki swirling around them both. The force that shot out of the extinguisher was almost too much for Kouga, who had to brace himself against the strength of the jets of coolant. They shot out across the room, flooding the flames, almost immediately reducing them to nothing. Kagome’s eyes were screwed shut; all her attention had to be focused on the coolant, or the flames would never go out. She had to trust everyone around her:

Trust Miroku to hold her steady.  
Trust Kouga to hold the extinguisher steady.  
Trust Sesshomaru to get his brother.

Kagome poured everything she had into her efforts, and felt the extinguisher grow impossibly cold, but she could not—would not—let it go.

Not until Inuyasha was back by her side.

“Miko.” The voice was close to her ear, and nearly shook Kagome out of her meditative state. She felt Miroku squeeze her shoulders gently, and she slowly released her hands and opened her eyes.

Sesshomaru had laid Inuyasha out on the ground. His eyes were closed, and he was breathing normally, but something was missing.

His ki. His reiki was quiet, dormant. His youki was...

“Did you just realize that your soulmate is missing something, Kagome-sama?” Tsubasa called out from across the room. Kagome whipped her head around to see Tsubasa standing, Renkotsu and Mukotsu on either side of her, all grinning.

Kagome’s reiki flared up around her in anger; Sesshomaru and Kouga both had to take a step back. “What the _fuck_ did you do to Inuyasha?” she bellowed.

Tsubasa laughed. “Simple,” she said. “I couldn’t take his reiki—no machines. So I did the next best thing.”

Kagome’s face drained of color, and she suddenly felt woozy. She reached out and held onto Miroku for support.

“You—you sealed his youki.” Kagome couldn’t believe how calm her voice was in the face of everything that was happening. It was all she could do to hold on and not fly across the room and murder Tsubaki with her bare hands.

“Consider him sealed,” Tsubasa agreed. “And what will you do without your soulmate, Kagome-sama? Are you just as powerful without him by your side?” Her eyes narrowed as Kagome growled. It was Miroku who got to Kagome first, and he held her back when he started to cross the room in a fit of rage.

“Let me go, Miroku!” she bellowed, but Miroku only held her tighter.

“Be patient, Kagome,” he whispered. “We’ll figure it out; don’t worry.”

Kagome struggled against Miroku’s grip, but at last she settled down, allowing him to hold her close and keep her under control.

“Matsushita-san would certainly have been a problem had word of his ‘situation’ been made public.” Tsubasa was continuing to talk, and Kagome really wanted to shut the bitch’s mouth. Maybe sew it shut. Could she make her reiki into a needle and thread?

“...And now he will no longer be a problem, for any of us. Isn’t that right, Lord of the West?” she added, turning to Sesshomaru. “I can’t imagine how a hanyou with reiki looks for your family.”

“Do not presume to know the thoughts of the Lord of the West, dark miko.” If Kagome hadn’t known Sesshomaru, she would have thought him indifferent to his brother’s condition. But the way that Sesshomaru’s jaw was set, the way that he was looking at Tsubasa, as though if he could, he would kill her in one second…he was _pissed_.

“Can we unseal him, Kagome?” asked Miroku quietly.

“Kaede can, with my help,” Kagome said, just as quietly. “But it will take time.”

Miroku nodded. “We will buy you time,” he said. He turned to Sesshomaru. “Get Matsushita behind the desk,” he said. “I’ll get Kaede.” Sesshomaru nodded once, picked up his brother, and deposited him behind the desk. He was immediately back by Kagome’s side, a strangely calming presence in the face of the ultimate danger. Kagome kept one eye on Sesshomaru, and the other eye on Miroku as he jogged across the lobby, which was now free of flames, but smoking and an absolute disaster that they would never be able to repair.

Kagome grit her teeth. The Spiritualist Society was going to pay heavily for what was happening today.

“One down,” said Tsubasa casually, turning to Mukotsu, “one to go. But for this one, I’ll need a little extra power.”

“Sesshomaru-sama, Kouga,” said Kagome quietly. Sesshomaru’s eyebrow raised at her; Kouga turned his head towards hers. “She cannot be allowed to consume anything in that cooler. You know what’s in there. We need to get those vials away from her.”

Sesshomaru turned his attention back to Tsubasa, but Kouga nodded. “Okay, Kagome,” he said. “What do you plan to do?”

“Kaede can help me unseal Inuyasha,” Kagome said. “She’s got herbs that will help with the unsealing.”

“Where are they?” he asked immediately.

“In her classroom,” Kagome said, “but…”

But Kouga was already gone, too fast for Tsubasa, Renkotsu, or Mukotsu to even see him. Kagome smiled sadly as she thought about how grateful she was for Kouga, and for his friendship. They had come so far in such a short time, and she hoped that he and Inuyasha would continue to be...if not friends...at least...at least they would try not to kill each other?

“Kagome?” Kagome turned her head; Kaede and Miroku were coming up behind her. Kaede looked behind the desk. “I’ll need my herbs,” she said briskly.

“Kouga went to get some,” Kagome said.

“Tch,” she said, “an ookami doesn’t know what I would need.”

Kagome laughed softly. “Don’t put anything past the Lord of the East, Kaede,” she said. “You would be surprised at what he _does_ know.”

Kaede rolled her eyes, but toddled over behind the desk and knelt beside Inuyasha.

“Kagome!” she barked. “Now! I need you!”

Kagome ran behind the desk and kneeled next to Kaede. She looked down; Inuyasha was pale, and breathing, but barely. He looked...beautiful...and _asleep_. His eyelashes rested on his tanned cheeks, thick and lustrous; his silver hair was spread out all around him. He looked like a magnificent, powerful, sleeping prince. Kagome ran her hands down his chest; the tears were falling, fast and furious. _Fuck Tsubasa Tsubaki_ , Kagome thought angrily. _Fuck her and her whole stupid Spiritualist Society._

“Kaede.” It was Kouga; _damn_ , Kagome thought, _he travels fast_. He handed Kaede a bunch of herbs, gave Kagome a look, then ran back to join Sesshomaru. There was shouting; a gunshot rang out, and both Kagome and Kaede jumped. Then, there was swearing, then a massive ruckus; she heard Kouga’s voice, loud and menacing. 

“Kagome,” Kaede said forcefully, “make a barrier. _Now._ ”

Kagome threw up a barrier to protect them, as Kaede pulled a pestle out from her robes, and began to grind the herbs Kouga had brought to them in her hand. “You were right about Kouga-sama, Kagome,” she said. “These are the right herbs. Now I just need to find the point of sealing, and we should be able to free him.”

Kagome shrugged and smiled. “You don’t get to be the Lord of the East for that long without learning a thing or two,” she said, echoing Kouga’s own words. She held her hands up, keeping the barrier in place, as Kaede began the ceremony to unseal her soulmate. Kagome listened to Kaede’s chants, watched her grind up the herbs and place them in Inuyasha’s mouth, under his tongue, and prayed that her mentor would be able to save him. 

* * *

Kouga paced the length of the smoking and ruined lobby, staring down Tsubasa and her subordinates. He wanted nothing more than to run to her and rip her to shreds, but he was really fucking worried about her ability to purify him. Really worried. Right now it was all he could do to just growl at her, and he raged as she simply grinned at him.

“What’s the matter, Moriyama-sama?” she asked tauntingly. “Your true love tending to her soulmate? Does that bother you?”

A hand on his arm kept him from going after her. “Patience, Kouga,” Sango said. “We need to let Matsushita-sama and the Captain handle this. I’m sure they have a plan.”

“That bitch,” he spat.

“I know,” she replied, her eyes drifting to the desk, where a vibrant magenta barrier protected Inuyasha, Kagome, and Kaede. Her eyes narrowed. “I fucking know.”

“We’re going to try and separate the three of them,” Miroku said in a low voice to his wife. He had come up behind them after talking briefly with Totosai and Sesshomaru. “Kouga, you stay with Sango. I’m going with them. Once we get the three separated, you two take Renkotsu. We’ll handle Tsubaki-sama and Mukotsu.”

“Miroku,” Sango breathed. Miroku kissed her lightly on the lips. “It’ll be fine,” he said. “I’ll have the Lord of the West and the Captain of the NPA. It’ll be fine.”

But Sango knew. When Miroku repeated himself, it wasn’t going to be fucking fine. “Okay,” she muttered, watching him walk back to Sesshomaru and Totosai.

“Enough!” Tsubasa cried suddenly. She looked out at the group assembled in front of her. “You’ve had your little fun here, but now, Kagome and her soulmate have been neutralized. What will you do without her, now that her soulmate has been sealed away? How will things end?” She turned to Mukotsu, who handed her a vial of reiki. She undid the rubber stopper. “And how will you deal with me now, when I have all this reiki to consume?” She laughed, and tipped the vial into her mouth, and drank.

Kouga growled; Miroku gasped; Sango raised her weapon and held it right at Tsubasa.

“Not today, Tsubasa,” she said sharply. “Not while we’re here.” And she fired her gun.

Kouga roared and shoved her to the ground, then threw himself at Renkotsu, who had been about to unleash his fire gun again. He punched Renkotsu in the face, causing him to throw his hands up and drop his weapon. Kouga had him by the neck, when a jolt of reiki hit him in the back and caused him to drop Renkotsu and howl with pain. He looked around, and saw Tsubasa laughing and pointing right at him.

“Try that again, Moriyama,” she said, “and the next one will take your head clean off. And I would love to have the head of the Lord of the East mounted in my office at the Spiritualist Society.”

“That’s if you have an office left to go back to,” shouted Miroku, shoving Tsubasa out of the way and throwing up a barrier to protect Kouga as she sent another jolt of reiki in his direction. Tsubasa turned to Miroku and sent another shock of reiki right at him; Miroku raised his shakujo and parried, the reiki being absorbed right into the spiritual weapon. Sesshomaru, meanwhile, moved faster than a hummingbird (and much more gracefully), and had Mukotsu by the throat. Totosai wrenched the cooler away from him, and Sesshomaru threw Mukotsu against the wall as hard as he could. Mukotsu’s body hit it with a sickening crack, and it fell to the ground, broken nearly in half. Sesshomaru flicked his energy whip at the man, turning his body into poisoned ashes, just for good measure. He turned to Tsubasa.

“Dark miko,” he said, “you will turn yourself in, or you will face the wrath of the Lords of the West and the East. And this one can assure you that turning yourself in is most definitely the more acceptable death that you should choose.”

Tsubasa began to laugh: a high, cackling laugh that chilled Sango and Miroku, but merely caused Sesshomaru, Totosai, and Kouga to look at her coldly.

“If you think that I choose to give myself up instead of death, that’s acceptable?” she asked incredulously. “Why on earth would you think that?”

“Because if you choose to fight, Tsubasa, you fucking _cunt_ ,” said a familiar, gruff voice that made everyone jump and turn, “you’re gonna have to fucking deal with _me_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooops, Inuyasha is recovered, and he's _pissed_. What happened to him? And, will they _finally_ be able to take down Tsubaki? Find out this, and more, in the next update! Stay safe, and as always, thank everyone for reading! 💖💖💖


	43. Caesura

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final battle with Tsubasa Tsubaki commences, and Inuyasha, Kagome, and the others deal with the fallout.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you're safe and doing well.
> 
> Welcome to the next chapter of Spirited Soulmates! We are just three chapters away from the end, but the action will not stop just because we're almost finished. 
> 
> CW: This chapter features violence and minor character death. The tags have been updated to reflect the content.

_Dark. It was so dark._

_Inuyasha opened his eyes, hoping that he would find light, but no. Still dark._

_And if anything, it was_ darker _out here than it had been with his eyes closed._

_Fuck. His head fucking_ hurt _._

_What the fuck had happened?_

_He reached back into his mind, but it was hard. So hard._

_Like something was stopping him from remembering._

_Inuyasha peered out into the darkness. Maybe there was something…out there. Something that would help him remember._

_Because holy fuck, he felt like he was supposed to be somewhere, doing something, and this was the_ last _fucking place he should be. He needed…_

_He needed to get back to something…_

_To someone._

_He needed to get back to someone. And_ NOW _._

_Inuyasha took one step, then another, and found that he could, in fact, walk, even if he couldn’t see anything. His eyes began to search the darkness, desperate to find something that he could hold onto, something that he would be able to use as an anchor in the dark._

_But there was nothing. Nothing._

_He growled and dug his nails into his palms in his frustration. The sensation that he was missing something important was gnawing at his insides, driving him within an inch of his sanity._

_He had to…he needed._

FUCK! _Why the_ fuck _couldn’t he remember?_

_Inuyasha felt his claws lengthening, his fangs growing, his eyesight shifting, becoming sharper, more refined. He was turning full youkai, but he didn’t have the same rage._

_Instead, he felt...pain. Desperation. Anxiety. Fear._

_And...love. Inuyasha felt love._

_He needed to find the person he loved. He needed to get to them, and fast. (Why could he_ not _remember?)_

_His inu youkai capabilities fully developed, he found that could see that much more clearly, out into the darkness._

_And way, away far in his vision, nearly past the horizon of what he could see, there was a tiny speck of light. Inuyasha roared and took off towards it, racing faster than he’d ever run in his life. His feet sparkled as they rocketed across his current plane of existence (wherever that was); his hair flew out behind him; he bellowed his anger and frustration every few steps as he ran towards whatever awaited him on the horizon._

_As Inuyasha got closer, he could see that it wasn’t just one thing; it was several. And as he got even closer, he could see…a man. A woman. A giant, glowing red, Akita. The man and the woman were playing with the Akita, who was growling and licking them. They were laughing; Inuyasha could see that they were laughing, and that they were happy._

_He felt an undeniable pull towards them that made him run even faster. Who were they? Did they know who he was? Where he was? What he had to do? Could they tell him who needed to get back to?_

_Every time he tried to reach back into his mind—every time he tried to remember—he was hit with a wall of emptiness. Nothing was there, but yet he knew that, if he was able to look a little more deeply, or maybe from a different angle, he would be able to remember._

_As he reached the couple and the dog, he skidded to a halt. He paused, and took in the scene._

_The woman was wearing a beautiful white silk kimono, the fabric decorated with red and gold chrysanthemums, hummingbirds, and dogs (that Inuyasha could see were also Akitas). Her long dark hair was tied up in a low bun, which was secured with red and white tsubaki flowers. She turned to him, and her face broke out into a beautiful smile. She then looked up at the man, who smiled indulgently; she turned back to Inuyasha, and waved to him._

_Almost outside of his own sense of self, Inuyasha approached them slowly. The man was tall, much taller than the woman; his silver hair was pulled back into a high ponytail; his dark golden eyes were warm and welcoming to Inuyasha. He had jagged blue streaks on his face, starting mid-cheek and jutting upwards, towards his ears. He seemed to say a word to the dog, who immediately settled down and rested on its haunches between the man and woman. The man patted his head affectionately; the woman had one hand buried in the dog’s fur and was stroking it gently._

_Inuyasha paused. The man, the woman, the dog…_

_...They all looked....familiar…_

_And they were all_ glowing _._

_The woman’s aura was a beautiful, sparkling gold; the man’s aura was a deep red; the dog’s aura (Inuyasha didn’t know dogs had auras, but this was clearly not the real world, so okay) was the same red as the man’s but with golden threads woven into it, like thick stitching._

_Inuyasha’s breath hitched. They were so beautiful, so radiant, so glorious..._

_“Inuyasha,” the woman said, smiling and holding out her arms to him._

How the fuck did she know his name?

_“Inuyasha,” said the man. His voice was deep, and broad, and seemed to take up the entire space, wherever ‘this space’ was. He, too, held out one hand to Inuyasha, keeping his other hand firmly on the dog._

_Inuyasha took a few steps towards them. “How—how do you know who I am?” he asked them. “Do you also know where we are? And where I was, and how I got here?”_

Inuyasha…

_A woman’s voice, clear and vibrant, rang through the air. Inuyasha looked around anxiously, but didn’t see anyone there but him, the man, the woman, and the dog._

_“Who—what was that?” Inuyasha asked them, confused._

_“She’s looking for you, Inuyasha,” said the woman, who was now smiling sweetly. “Your soulmate. She’s trying to reach you.”_

_“Do you remember her, Inuyasha,” asked the man suddenly. “Do you remember who she is?”_

_Inuyasha frowned. She definitely_ sounded _familiar, even if he couldn’t quite put his finger on who she was. The way the woman said his name...it sent shockwaves through his body, and it was all he could do to prevent his arousal from becoming clear._

_The man smiled, and Inuyasha realized the man could detect his arousal, and immediately blushed. “It’s okay, Inuyasha,” he said. “It’s quite a natural thing to feel attracted to your soulmate.”_

_“My—my soulmate?” Inuyasha said, confused._

_The man and the woman looked at each other; the woman sighed, while the man looked concerned. “Come closer, Inuyasha,” the woman said tenderly, and for some reason, Inuyasha found himself obeying. He was drawn in by the woman’s kind, brown eyes; he wanted to know who she was, how she knew his name, and how she and the man knew that he had a soulmate._

_Whatever that meant._

_“Come,” the woman said, “let’s sit.”_

_“But your kimono,” Inuyasha said._

_“It’ll be fine,” the man said, turning to the woman. “Won’t it, dear?”_

_“It’s fine,” she said. The man helped her to sit, and arranged her kimono prettily around her. The dog sat by her side and laid its head in her lap. She sat there, stroking his fur absentmindedly._

_“Inuyasha,” she said suddenly, “what do you remember of your parents?”_

_“My—my parents?” he said blankly. The woman nodded._

_Inuyasha searched back into his mind. He could vaguely remember that he once had parents, but…_

_“Your mother,” said the man, a touch of urgency seeping into his tone, “what do you remember about her mother?”_

_“My—mother?” His mind was still a blank. He shook his head, and the man and woman exchanged a look. It was...concerned. Inuyasha was starting to get nervous._

_“How about if I help you to remember,” the woman said. “Once you remember, I’ll be able to tell you everything that I know.”_

_“_ We’ll _be able to tell you everything,” the man gently corrected the woman._

_“We’ll be able, yes,” she added quickly. She reached out with her right hand; when Inuyasha took it into his hand, she set it into the fur of the Akita._

_“Isn’t that an unusual color for a dog,” Inuyasha commented. But even as he spoke those words, Inuyasha knew that they were a total lie. Inuyasha was sure that the tall, handsome man knew_ exactly _this, and Inuyasha clamped his mouth shut._

_And then, as he knelt down beside the dog and pet it gingerly. The dog barked, then licked Inuyasha’s face. He laughed tentatively._

_“Don’t be afraid, son,” the man said. “He can’t hurt you.”_

_Inuyasha leaned in and allowed himself to get lost in the dog’s soft fur. He felt the woman’s hand caress his back; he felt the man’s hand on his shoulder._

_“Remember, Inuyasha,” the woman whispered in his ear, “remember who we are. Who she is._

_“Remember who_ you _are.”_

_Inuyasha was suddenly overcome with a wealth of emotions: he saw two shapes in the recesses of his mind. At first, they were filmy, shadowy figures, but as they grew nearer to his consciousness, they grew sharper in shape and definition. As they continued to build in his mind, Inuyasha found that they were familiar. One was tall; one was short. They wore flowing robes; between them, Inuyasha saw a smaller figure, blazing red and fiery. He knew; he knew who they all were._

_And then a searing pain shot through his head, and he was overcome with memories:_

_His mother, watching him play ball on the estate grounds._

_His father, carrying him on his shoulders around the keep._

_His parents, hugging him. Sitting with him at dinner. Putting him to sleep at night._

_His mother, dying. His father, dying._

_Being alone. So completely, totally alone._

_Inuyasha roared and clutched at the dog’s fur even more tightly. His mother—he knew now that’s who she was—rubbed his back more fiercely, trying to offer him comfort. Inuyasha could scent her tears. She knew—she fucking_ knew _—he’d been alone, for so many years, and he missed her, so fucking much, and she knew all of this, and she cried: for him, for her, for his father, for the years they lost._

_“Close your eyes, son,” his father said, his grip on Inuyasha’s shoulder tightening. “Who else do you see?”_

_Inuyasha did as he was told and closed his eyes once more, trying to see into the dark. For what seemed like a long, terrible moment, there was nothing. Inuyasha was just about to open his eyes again and tell his father no one was there, no one was coming, when he heard it again._

Inuyasha _._

_It was that voice. That clear, musical voice, calling his name._

_And there, in the darkness, was a light. A bright pink light._

_It started small, but Inuyasha could see it growing stronger, brighter, more vibrant. And behind that light? He could see a form—a woman, shining so brightly he was having trouble making her out in all the light radiating from her being. She was—so radiant—he couldn’t see—he had to look away—_

_But she held his gaze steady. And he could see her eyes: the color of an ocean in the middle of a tumultuous storm. And then, she said his name again:_

Inuyasha.

_And his eyes snapped open. He looked at his mother; she smiled sadly and continued to rub his back. He looked at his father, who frowned. And he looked at…_

_At his youki. And his reiki._

_The Akita was red, yes, but its fur was now woven with gold threads that sparkled and shone like the sun. Like his mother’s…_

_“Yes, Inuyasha,” she said quietly, “your reiki is my reiki. This was my last, and best, gift to you.”_

_“Mother.” His voice was hoarse._

_“Everything your brother and Totosai told you…” she sighed. “It’s all true. I had my reiki sealed. The Spiritualist Society came to me; they congratulated me on finding my soulmate—” here she stopped and looked up at Inuyasha’s father, who smiled at her softly “—and asked me if I wanted to continue to practice my reiki. I said...I said I did. The head of the society at the time...invited me to tea. I went with my reiki intact. I left with it sealed.”_

_“And you would have been especially dangerous, because you are soulmated to a youkai.” Inuyasha’s voice was quiet._

_“Son.” Inuyasha turned up to look at his father. “I love your mother, more than anything else in this world, save you and your brother—despite your past differences, you must know that’s true,” Matsushita Toga chuckled._

_“Keh,” Inuyasha retorted, “my asshole brother’s not so bad.”_

_Toga’s smile was brilliant. “It’s about time you two realized that,” he sighed._

_“Anata.” Izayoi looked at her husband. “Time.”_

_“Right.” Toga cleared his throat. “Inuyasha,” he said, “you’ve been sealed, by Tsbusa Tsubaki. As we speak, your soulmate and another miko are working to free you.”_

_Inuyasha grinned. “Because my soulmate’s the fucking best.”_

_“That she is,” Toga agreed, “but you need to be prepared for what happens when you are unsealed.”_

_“Your youki will merge back with you,” Izayou said, still stroking the dog’s brilliant red fur. “It will be sudden, and it might…”_

_“It might not feel the best,” Toga finished. “You need to know this.”_

_“And when you get back,” Izayoi said, “Tsubasa Tsubaki will…”_

_“I know, I fuc—I know, Mother,” Inuyasha replied, curbing his language with difficulty. “Higurashi and I...we can take her out. I know we can.”_

_“Trust her, Inuyasha,” said Toga suddenly. “Trust your soulmate. She will do right by you.”_

_“I—I don’t want to lose her,” Inuyasha replied softly. “I—I am scared, more than anything, of losing her.”_

_Toga’s face was soft, and he looked like he wanted to reply, but the searing pain in Inuyasha’s head was back; he dropped down to his side and clutched his head wildly. He felt his youki lick his face tentatively; he felt his mother’s hand on his cheek._

_“Remember, Inuyasha,” she whispered. “Always remember that we love you, and that we will support you. Always. No matter where you are. You always have us.”_

_“Mo—Mother,” he croaked out. The pain was starting to radiate down his right arm. He felt her soft caresses; he felt his father’s hand on his arm._

_“Remember what Kagome has taught you, Inuyasha,” his father said. “You need to rely on your youki_ and _your reiki. You can do it.”_

_“Be careful, Inuyasha,” his mother said suddenly. “Protect Kagome, please.”_

_And then the pain discharged throughout his entire body, and with a load moan, he collapsed._

* * *

“Kaede? Is he _supposed_ to look like that? His face is all scrunched up in pain!”

“Hush, child, and let me do this right!”

“Do I really look that much like shit, Higurashi?”

Kagome was so relieved she nearly dropped the barrier. “Inuyasha!” she breathed instead, looking down at him with a face that was a mix of love, despair, and frustration.

Inuyasha tried to sit up, but his head…

“What the fuck!” he moaned. “My fucking head...fucking _fuck_!”

“Didn’t take long for him to be back to normal,” Kagome said to Kaede, her face grimacing from the assault her barrier was taking. 

Inuyasha grunted under the force of his headache. What the _fuck_ …?

“Heal yourself, Inuyasha,” Kagome said suddenly. “I can’t do it…”

“And I _won’t_ ,” Kaede added dryly.

“So you have to do it,” Kagome finished. “ _Now_.”

“Fuck!” He didn’t know how to heal himself. Could he do it? 

“Just focus your energy, Matsushita,” Kaede told him coolly. “You are capable of focusing, are you not?”

Inuyasha thought about telling the old woman where she could stick it, but she _had_ just unsealed him, and his youki and reiki were chafing to be put to use, so… why the hell not?

He placed his hands on either side of his head, took a deep breath, and breathed in deeply, counted to four, then breathed out deeply and counted to four. Each time he counted, he sent his reiki into his skull, and each time he breathed out, he could feel the pain lessening. It took him five or six rounds, but eventually he was headache-free.

Inuyasha sat up and rubbed his neck. “Where is she, Higurashi?” he asked Kagome.

“By the hallway to the offices still,” Kagome said to him, her voice now shaking from the strain. 

Then they heard a yelp, a shout, and a series of crashes and bangs. Inuyasha started to rise, but Kaede put a hand on his arm. “Give it a moment,” she breathed.

And sure enough, they heard Sesshomaru’s voice first.

“Dark miko,” he was saying, “you will turn yourself in, or you will face the wrath of the Lords of the West and the East. And this one can assure you that turning yourself in is most definitely the more acceptable death that you should choose.”

Then, Tsubasa began to laugh; her laugh was so cackling and evil that it made Kagome shake, but Inuyasha simply scoffed. 

“If you think that if I choose to give myself up instead of death, that’s acceptable?” she asked incredulously. “Why on earth would you think that?”

Oh, this bitch did _not_ just fucking say that.

Inuyasha broke free from Kaede’s grip, and against medical advice of his healers, he leapt up to the top of the desk and let loose an all-mighty roar. 

“Because if you choose to fight, Tsubasa, you fucking _cunt_ ,” he snarled; everyone turned to face him, surprise dusting their faces. Inuyasha’s voice dropped another octave; he was ready to end it _all_.

“You’re gonna have to fucking deal with _me_.”

“Oh, Matsushita-san,” Tsubasa replied, “I have already dealt with you once, and I don’t think it will be a problem for me to deal with you again.” She turned to Mukotsu’s broken form, leaned down, and opened the cooler that was still hanging from his limp body. She took out another vial, popped it open, and drank greedily. Everyone watched in varying degrees of horror as her eyes changed from a dark brown to a bright green, and her reiki whipped up around her in a frenzy; emerald-green, brilliant, and flaring out to encompass everything in sight. Totosai and Kouga shrank back; Sesshomaru stood, calm on the outside, but anyone who knew him could see his eyes flashing a cold, dark amber, and they could see his youkai flaring out behind him, menacing and dark. He raised one clawed hand, ready to let loose his energy and send it right at her.

“Sesshomaru-sama!” Kaede barked. “Hold, please!” She pushed past Inuyasha and Kagome, her wizened body standing up tall, and strong. 

“Obaba…” Inuyasha began.

“Hush, Matsushita,” Kaede snapped. She turned to Tsubasa. “You will do no such thing,” she hissed. “This war that you think you have to wage against soulmated mikos? It’s ridiculous, and it’s dated. Things are different now, Tsubaki. You know this. The world is a different place—Kagome, Kouga, and Sesshomaru-sama have made this possible.” She paused to catch her breath. “Once upon a time, youkai and spiritualists hated each other. They each tried to eliminate the other in an attempt to bring peace in the world. But now we know that it’s impossible to find peace through war. The Treaty has shown us that youkai and spiritualists _can_ get along, and _can_ co-exist peacefully.” She paused. “Please, Tsubaki,” she said, her voice rough with emotion, “ _please_ . I know that you are better than this. I know this isn’t you. _Please_ stop this, and let me help you.” Kaede’s lined face twisted with emotion. “ _Please_.” She reached out a hand to Tsubasa, who merely scoffed. 

“You have _no idea_ , Kaede, do you?” Tsubasa cackled. “You have no idea what someone like Matsushita means to the order of things; you have _no idea_ what someone like Kagome means to the order of things. You never did. For you it was only ever about love. For me…”

“It was only ever about power,” Kaede interrupted.

“It was about keeping the order of things as they are supposed to be!” Tsubasa spat. “It was about responsibility, and duty, and…”

“Love, Tsubaki,” Kaede said softly. “It should have been about love.”

The two women stood, staring at each other, for a long, terrible moment. Kagome could see Kaede’s face in silhouette: firm, loving, resolved. Tsubasa looked enraged; her face was bright red, and she was struggling to catch her breath. She huffed and puffed. 

“You had a choice, Tsubaki,” Kaede continued. “All those years ago, you and I? We were presented with a choice. But for me, it was never a choice. For me...you were all that mattered.” Her voice grew quiet and hoarse. “For you, though? I knew I didn’t measure up in terms of what the Society could offer you. I knew that they would give you power, and authority—things that you had always craved, and that I could never give you.” She laughed bitterly. “But I could give you _love_ , Tsubaki. That was all I ever wanted with you, from you.” Her voice grew hard. “But it wasn’t enough, was it? It was never enough. And now, even your own power—which is immense—is not enough. You hurt me when you broke my heart; you hurt hundreds of other mikos when you took their reiki. But I will be _damned_ if I am going to stand by and let you hurt Kagome. She has been through so much, and accomplished so much, that…” Kaede paused and turned to look back at Kagome. “I love her as though she were my own daughter,” Kaede added. “I love her as though she were mine.”

“Kaede,” Kagome whispered, tears forming in her eyes. Inuyasha paused his low growls long enough to wrap an arm around his soulmate and hold her close.

Kaede smiled at Kagome, nodded once, then turned back to Tsubasa. “It ends today, Tsubaki,” Kaede said firmly. “Totosai will arrest you, and you will go to jail for all your crimes. And I will be damned if I see you hurt anyone else that I care about. You’ve already destroyed my heart,” she added softly. “I refuse to see you destroy anyone else’s.”

“You _know why_ I did what I did, Kaede,” Tsubasa snapped. “Don’t make me feel guilty about it!”

“The only person making you feel guilty, Tsubaki,” Kaede replied, “is _you_.” Kaede turned slightly so Kagome could see her face; was it her imagination, or did Kaede look impossibly sad?

Tsubasa screamed and threw her hands up into the sky, the reiki shooting from her fingertips like fireworks, green and purple and gold and electric. “Fuck that!” she shrieked. “This ends _now_ , Kaede!” Tsubasa threw her arms down in a torrent of obscenities and anger, and aimed directly at Inuyasha and Kagome, who were still standing behind the table. Inuyasha growled and threw himself in front of Kagome, but before either of them could create a barrier, one was suddenly shining about them.

It was a brilliant blue, the color of the sky on the brightest summer day; warm, and serene, and splendid. Inuyasha and Kagome’s mouths dropped open as they saw the barrier shooting up all around them; they cringed as they saw Tsubasa’s emerald-green jets of reiki shooting towards them, only to be devoured in sapphire sparks when they hit the barrier. Kagome screamed and turned her face into Inuyasha’s chest; he held her tightly and covered her with his body as the barrier held above them.

When the shower of reiki finally quieted, Inuyasha kissed the top of Kagome’s head. “Higurashi,” he said quietly, “look.” Kagome pulled away from his chest; he kept one arm tight around her shoulders as they looked up at the gorgeous, shimmering barrier about them. Kagome looked up at her soulmate; he growled softly and nodded his head. Together, they reached out to touch the barrier; when their fingertips made contact, the barrier pulsed, concentric circles radiating out from where their fingers touched. 

And then a voice spoke, echoing, kind, and sad, and Kagome immediately burst into tears, because she knew what it meant:

_Kagome...and Inuyasha._

“Ka—Kaede?” Kagome gasped.

_Kagome...and Inuyasha_ , the voice said softly, reverently. _Tsubaki cannot be killed with youki alone. Nor with reiki alone. Nor with a weapon. The thing she fears most in the world...the thing she denied herself more than anything else...is love._

“Love?” Kagome whispered, the tears now spilling over her reddened cheeks.

_Love_ , Kaede’s voice echoed. _Remember...she cannot be defeated alone...she cannot be defeated by the power of one alone_. _She must be defeated by…_

“By us both.” Inuyasha’s voice was hard, and respectful, and reverent.

“Kaede-obaa-chan,” Kagome sobbed. “Kaede-obaa-chan!”

_Kagome._

_Inuyasha_.

_Ka...go...me…_

Slowly, the voice faded, even as the barrier remained, brightly blue and shining. Kagome and Inuyasha looked at each other, a look that was part love, part desire, and part fear. She knew...she knew exactly what Kaede had done. For her. For _them_. 

And...for herself. 

A last act...to protect the ones that she loved most. 

From the one that, Kagome was sure, Kaede _used_ to love the most. 

And maybe...maybe she still did. And that was why, maybe…Kaede had also done what she did.

“Kaede-obaa-chan,” Kagome said softly.

“What—what the _fuck_ did the obaba do?” Inuyasha demanded.

Kagome turned her head and nodded. Inuyasha followed her gaze, and could barely see, beyond the edges of the barrier, a body, lying prostrate close to where the barrier ended. “Holy fucking shit,” he breathed, and pulled Kagome close to his chest, where he could hear and feel her breath, where he could dip his nose forward and inhale her sweet scent. He needed her close, closer than ever before, so that he was able to focus. And so that he could protect her, so he could keep her from seeing her mentor, her friend...like that.

“Inuyasha.” Kagome’s voice was low, and cold. 

“What is it, Higurashi?”

“It’s time that we waste that bitch. For Kaede...and for us.”

Inuyasha laughed softly and kissed the top of her head. “You got it,” he said softly. How do we get through this barrier, though?”

Kagome paused for a moment to consider, and rubbed her nose around and around on his chest. “I think that,” she said at last, her voice shaky, “when we are ready, Kaede-obaa-chan will help guide us.”

Inuyasha grunted. “The obaba helps us, even after death?” he said. Kagome nodded, willing herself not to cry. “Okay,” he added, suddenly tender. He hooked a claw under her chin and drew her face up to meet his. He kissed her, just as tenderly, allowing their lips to brush against each other gently. The electricity between them, as always, was palpable, but this time, Inuyasha sensed something deeper, and more primal, in Kagome’s kiss.

There was an urge to love, yes, but also: to protect. And to avenge.

Kagome broke the kiss first, whispering his name and clutching the back of his shirt. “Kaede,” she added.

“Yeah,” he said. “We’ll do this for the obaba.” 

She stepped away from him, and Inuyasha tore into his shoulder with his claws, breaking the skin and causing blood to fly everywhere. He grunted, and reached into the wound to draw out his blood. Kagome winced slightly, but a stern look from him silenced her immediately. He held his hand out to her; Kagome could see the heat rising off the blood that coated his claws, that coated his entire hand.

“Okay,” she whispered, leaning into his hand. She raised her own hands over Inuyasha’s bloody claws, and called forth her reiki. It swirled, bright pink and shimmering, over Inuyasha’s hand. They looked up at each other; gold met steel as Kagome leaned forward and kissed him, over her reiki, over his bloody, bloody hand. Kagome’s own fingers felt impossibly warm, and her tongue teased Inuyasha’s lips; he eagerly granted her access. As they each explored the other’s mouth, a feeling of oneness, of togetherness, they were both vaguely aware of the heating of their bodies, of their hands. Kagome probed his mouth more deeply, and Inuyasha groaned. His dick was quickly becoming hard; he was feeling like maybe a battle wasn’t the best time for a hard-on.

Inuyasha broke the kiss suddenly, and grunted, and held up his hand. Kagome’s eyes grew wide; his entire hand was now encased in a shimmering pink-and-gold glow that pulsed and rippled, especially around his claws. Kagome suddenly understood. It wasn’t just her that could defeat Tsubasa, nor was it just Inuyasha. Sesshomaru’s energy whip would do little damage. Instead, they need to use their combined powers to take her out, once and for all.

“I think that when we are ready, the barrier will fall,” Kagome whispered, leaning in and capturing his lips one last time. “I think you need to be ready to use Hijin Kessou as fast as you can.”

“Got it.” He wasn’t in the mood to take directions. His entire fucking body was humming with the union of his reiki with Kagome’s; his hand was burning and radiating their combined powers. Suddenly, he realized...he didn’t know much long he could hold back. “If we’re gonna do this,” he grunted at her, “we have to do it _now_.”

“Got it.” Kagome leaned forward one last time and placed a small peck on his lips. He growled, but his features were calm and accommodating.

“Let’s do it, then,” he added, and raised his arm high.

Kagome nodded, then reached out to touch the barrier again. “Kaede-obaa-chan,” she said softly. “Thank you for sacrificing yourself to save us. To save all of us. I promise, we won’t disappoint you.” She turned to Inuyasha, who nodded abruptly, his face shining with all the love for her that he held in his heart.

“Okay,” she breathed. “On the count of three.”

“1.”

“2.” His eyes held hers until the last possible second.

“ _THREE_!” The barrier dropped around them, shattering into a million beautiful sapphires before being absorbed by the air. Inuyasha and Kagome saw Renkotsu, aiming his fire blaster at Sango and Miroku, who were desperately trying to avoid his attack; they saw Kouga, dropped to all fours and growling; they saw Sesshomaru, flying forward, raising his hand to Renkotsu, his claws bared, his face twisted in a snarl. In a split second, he had knocked away the fire blaster, and he had punched Renkotsu in the face. His energy whip flared forward and slashed Renokutsu’s arms, his torso, his visage. Renkotsu screamed as the poison shot through his body; those screams became gurgles as he slowly fried from the inside out. 

When the barrier shattered, Tsubasa turned her attention back to Inuyasha and Kagome. “Well, well,” she cackled, “it looks like Kaede’s barriers aren’t what they used to be, are they? She could only barely stave off my attacks.”

“How dare you,” Kagome growled. “How dare you even so much as _think_ her name, let alone utter it! You have no right, you lying, prejudiced, evil, _bitch!_ ” Kagome was fucking _enraged_ that Tsubasa even had the guts to use Kaede’s name. Not now. Not after what they had learned.

“Oh,” said Tsubasa, “I have every right to say her name—more than you. But it’s not Kaede you should be worried about now.” Her eyes narrowed. “It’s the rest of you who will suffer at my hands; not her. But I do hope that poor Kaede has found peace at last,” she added, looking to Inuaysha and Kagome’s left. “She never did get over me, you know. Until her last breath, she was still grappling with her love for me.”

“Shut the fuck up, you bitch!” Kagome was done mincing words. She rapidly began creating a ball of reiki with her hands. “Inuyasha!” she shrieked. “ _Now_!” 

Inuyasha didn’t need to be told twice. He reached into the wound on his shoulder one more time for good measure, bellowed “ _Hijin Kessou_!” and hurled his reiki-infused blood right at Tsubasa. Kagome immediately followed up with her own reiki attack, hot pink and practically bubbling with her love for Kaede, for Inuyasha, for everyone who was there, supporting her, supporting _them_.

Tsubasa laughed and put up her own emerald-green barrier. But a look of shock and surprise crossed her face when she felt her barrier shatter under the force of Inuyasha and Kagome’s combined attack. And that look of shock and surprise became twisted with pain as Inuyasha and Kagome’s attack scorched through her body, the Hijin Kessou ripping apart her flesh, Kagome’s reiki diving into the wounds and further infusing the Hijin Kessou that had situated themselves in her body. Tsubasa fell to her knees, looked up to the sky, and screamed, and _screamed_.

Because out of her fingers, out of her mouth, out of her eyes, her ears, her nose...out of her body flew shining streams of light: orange, and purple, and forest green. The vials in Mukotsu’s cooler broke, and streams of light flew forth from there as well. 

It was vibrant, beautiful: a swirl of radiant beams of light intertwined and unwound above them by turns. Then, the colors all pooled together into one massive ball, directly above Kaede’s body; they dropped down to lightly caress her, then shot up into the air above Tsubasa, circling each other in intricate waves and patterns. Then, with a mighty flash, and _whoosh_ of air that filled the entire lobby, the lights separated, and shot through the door, the windows...any escape route they could find. 

And then it was quiet. Inuyasha leaned heavily on Kagome, his shoulder bleeding freely from where he had torn his own flesh apart to make the Hijin Kessou. Sango gripped Miroku’s arm tightly; Kouga and Totosai were pale and breathing heavily.

Finally, it was Sesshomaru who spoke.

“Miko,” he said brusquely, “does this mean what this one believes it means?”

Kagome blinked, and looked from Kaede to Tsubasa and back again. The tears were about to fall, fast and furious and desperate; she had to hide it long enough to answer Sesshomaru.

She knew what he was asking, and she knew the answer.

“Yes,” she replied, “yes. Tsubaki is dead. So is Kaede. And—” and here her breath caught and it was difficult to continue. Inuyasha’s bloody arm circled her waist, and he buried his face in her hair to give her strength. 

“What we just saw? That was reiki, returning to its rightful owners.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With the reiki being returned to all the right mikos, and Tsubaki dead, what does this mean for Kagome? For Inuyasha? And for the rest of the spiritualist world? Find out all this, and more, in the next update, where Kagome and Inuyasha will be forced to rethink their futures...
> 
> As always, thank you everyone for reading! I am so endlessly grateful for all of the comments and feedback on this story. Just two chapters to go! 💖💖💖💖


	44. New Opportunities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha and Kagome deal with the aftermath of the battle with Kaede. Multiple offers are presented that must be considered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you're safe and doing well.
> 
> This is it! The penultimate chapter! After this, just one more to go.

Kaede’s grave was located not far from Kagome’s grandfather’s grave. For the first weeks after her death, Kagome was there almost every day, cleaning the headstone, offering gifts, burning incense. Inuyasha would text her, she wouldn’t respond, and he would find her there, kneeling, the tears dripping between her fingers as she struggled to come to terms with everything that had happened.

Kaede was dead. Tsubaki was dead. And apparently, according to Kagome, they may have been soulmates. 

Onigumo was dead. Kagome was alive. Inuyasha was alive. Kaede was dead.

Kaede was dead.

And Kagome felt...nothing...except for a deep desire to know _why_.

Why it all happened. Why the Spiritualist Society had allowed Tsubaki to gain so much power. Why they had kept secrets. 

Why Kaede had to die.

In the moments after Tsubasa Tsubaki’s death, Kagome had flown to Kaede’s side, desperately checking the elderly woman’s still form, hoping for some sign of life. Miroku had joined Kagome at Kaede’s side, resting his hands on Kagome’s shoulders, squeezing them gently, tears dripping off his nose. His wife came behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. The three of them stayed there, unmoving, mourning their friend and their colleague. Inuyasha had joined Totosai, Kouga, and Sesshomaru to investigate the bodies. Mukotsu had been nearly broken in two; Renkotsu had been fried by Sesshomaru’s poison, and no one wanted to touch his body.

But it was Tsubasa Tsubaki’s body that had been the most completely destroyed.

The combination of Inuyasha and Kagome’s power had obliterated her flesh, leaving her shredded and barely unrecognizable. Her face was bloody and bruised; Inuyasha actually shuddered when he realized that he could see all the way down to the bone. The reiki that had escaped her body left burns on what remained of her flesh. Kouga had blanched and had needed to turn away; only Sesshomaru and Totosai were completely unfazed. 

The NPA stormed the building, only to find it completely destroyed. They had gotten there as fast as they could, but ultimately, everything had happened so quickly, that by the time the NPA arrived, the battle was over; Tsubasa Tsubaki and her minions were dead, and the NPA and the Youkai Council were left with more questions than they had started with. Totosai had called in the fire department, and shooed everyone—Kagome included—out of the building. The bodies needed to be examined, and taken to the ME’s office; when Hojo arrived, Kagome nearly tore Inuyasha’s arm off trying to free herself to get to Hojo. She hadn’t wanted him to take Kaede; _she_ wanted to take care of Kaede—wash her, prepare her body for cremation—she’d wanted to do all of it herself. And when Inuyasha gently told her that it was likely the NPA would not release her body, as it was evidence, Kagome bore it well—too well, he thought. 

In fact, she bore it so well that she started to throw herself into her work—into _the_ work of being a spiritualist. She hadn’t so much as set foot inside the Spiritualist Society since Inuyasha had met her (and, according to Kouga and Miroku, she had stayed away basically since the Treaty had passed). But now? Sesshomaru had been weirdly kind and offered several conference rooms at the company for use until Kagome and Miroku could find a new location, and whenever she wasn’t teaching, she was at the Society: holding meeting with the higher-ups, talking to secretaries, low-level spiritualists, anyone she could. All so that she could try and discern the truth about Kaede, and Tsubasa Tsubaki, and about the soulmated mikos.

Inuyasha knew that Kagome wondered: had Kaede and Tsubaki been soulmates? Had Tsubaki rejected Kaede? Had Kaede lived with the anger, the regret, and the sadness? What had it done to her—body, mind, _and_ soul? How had she suffered?

To Inuyasha, these were all moot points. Kaede was dead; Tsubaki was dead; no one would ever know for sure what went on between the two of them.

But Kagome couldn’t let it go. She held onto it, a dog worrying a bone, the bone gnawed and gnarled and barely recognizable. No matter how much Inuyasha tried to talk her down, she was determined. She needed to know: what was happening at the Spiritualist Society? What kind of power had Tsubasa Tsubaki really held? It was becoming Kagome’s life, and it was changing her. But Inuyasha knew: it wasn’t a real desire to change the Society that motivated her; it was the amount of change and upheaval that had happened in her life in the past few weeks.

She’d been through so much in that short amount of time—she’d seen death, she’d nearly died, _he’d_ nearly died, and now, the world of spiritualism was forever changed. 

Kagome needed to learn to cope with that, in whatever way that she could—whether it was investigating the Spiritualist Society, or teaching, or mourning the loss of her mentor and friend. Whatever she needed to do. And he didn’t know how much help he could be, but _fuck_ , Inuyasha was going to try and be there for her every step of the way.

One afternoon several weeks after Tsubaki and Kaede’s deaths, Inuyasha returned to the apartment with news for Kagome. He’d just gotten off the phone with his brother, who wanted to see them both, immediately. About what, Inuyasha had no fucking idea (it was his fucking asshole brother, after all, and who gave a _fuck_ what he thought or wanted, really?). He arrived home to find Kagome and Sango sitting on the couch together, talking in low tones. He stepped into the genkan, cleared his throat, and heard the hushed voices immediately cease. 

“Inu—Inuyasha?” Kagome called out. Her voice was soft, hesitant, nervous.

“Yeah,” he called back, “it’s me.”

He stepped into the yoshitsu and crossed the room. He gave Kagome a kiss, then sat on the couch across from Sango and Kagome. He eyed Sango suspiciously; she glared back at him, her arms crossed, her stare forceful and defiant. He growled, and she growled right back.

_Fuck_. She wasn’t going anywhere.

“Are you hungry, Inuyasha?” Kagome asked, starting to get to her feet. “I could make us some dinner.” 

“I’m not hungry.” He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Sango. “Why are you here? I thought you had to take care of the girls today because Miroku had something to do.”

“Both true statements,” Sango said. “But your soulmate here needed a friend, and since you were at work still, she didn’t want to bother you, so I’m here.”

“She could have called me, Murasaki,” he groused. “I would have come straight home.”

“Your work is important, Matsushita,” Sango pointed out. “And like I said, she didn’t want to bother you.”

“What? Why the fuck not?”

Honestly? _Fuck this noise._ Kagome didn’t want to _bother_ him? When the fuck did _that_ ever happen?

“Kagome?” Sango said. “Should I tell him?”

“Tell me what?” He was incredulous. “Why are you _here_ , Murasaki? What’s going on?” He looked at Kagome. “Higurashi.” Now his voice had taken on a serious tone. “You need to tell me what’s up.”

“I’ve...I’ve…” Kagome was unable to articulate whatever it was she needed to say. 

“Spit it out, Higurashi,” he snapped, then immediately regretted his short tone. He couldn’t help it; he couldn’t figure out what was going on with her.

“I’ve…I’ve been…” She sighed, and looked at Sango.

“Oh, for the love of all that’s holy,” Sango exclaimed. She looked at Inuyasha. “Kagome has been asked to take over leadership of the Spiritualist Society,” she said simply. She turned to Kagome. “Was that really so hard?”

Kagome nodded her head. “Yeah, Sango,” she said. “Because honestly? I really have no idea what to do.” 

“Really?” Inuyasha was shocked. “I thought that, with all the time you’ve been spending there, this would be a job you’d be excited about being offered, right?”

Kagome shrugged. “I don’t know,” she said, her voice sounding exhausted, and he realized in that moment just how very tired she was, and he felt like shit for not being a better soulmate. “It’s an insane amount of work, and while yeah, it’s nice being the figurehead of an entire organization, at the same time, it’s also pretty shitty.” She paused. “There’s _a lot_ of pressure being put on me to take this job,” she said quietly. “And... _yes_. It would give me the opportunity to remake the Society in a way that I want, which would of course would be amazing, but at the same time…” She turned to Inuyasha, and he could see that there were tears in her eyes. “I love my school. I love setting my own schedule. I don’t want to work overtime, or do anything that would take me away from Tokyo for extended periods of time. Because,” she added, looking right at Inuyasha, the tears overflowing now. “I never want to be without you. Ever again.”

“Higurashi,” he said, opening his arms. Kagome jumped right into them, and he held her close. She smelled... _fuck_. She smelled of sadness and a little like despair. When she was in this kind of desperate mood, all that helped her was close contact from her soulmate. And their souls were already intertwined, but holding her close, feeling her skin against his, it soothed them both.

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do,” he told her. “They can find somebody else to run the Spiritualist Society. Fuck all those assholes, anyway, for what they did to mikos for all those years—for what they did to my mother, to Kikyo, and for what they almost did to you.”

“Inuyasha,” she murmured. “I could have a chance to undo all that, though. I could have a chance to make the changes that the Society needs—that _I_ need—and that’s a pretty amazing thing? But at the same time...I don’t really know if this is the way for _me_ to make change. Do you know what I mean?”

He did. He absolutely fucking did. She’d turned down a political career before, and for what she argued were very good reasons. “You don’t know if you want to go back into the political arena again.”

“Exactly,” Kagome said. “And besides, when I think about the school, and how many soulmated mikos there are going to be other there…”

“They are going to have _no idea_ what to do with their powers,” Sango interjected.

“Yes,” Kagome agreed immediately. “We’ll need to start thinking about classes to help them…” Her voice trailed off. Any mention of the school, and Kagome’s mind immediately went to Kaede. They were now one teacher short, and what a void it was for them to fill. They could find another teacher, yes, sure, but the hole in Kagome’s heart?

That would be there, forever.

“So...yeah,” she said softly. “I just...I’m not really sure right now what to do. I need to think about it some more.”

“We can talk about it tonight, if you want, Higurashi.” Inuyasha’s gruff voice brought her back to reality. She blinked at him, and he held her closer, swearing under his breath. “I came home early to tell you that...Sesshomaru wants to see us. Right away. Tonight. Are you able to go?”

Kagome laughed, a bit of her color returning to her cheeks, and her tears subsiding. Inuyasha could tell she was grateful for the change of subject. “To see your brother?” She frowned. “What could he possibly want with us?”

“Don’t know,” Inuyasha shrugged. “I’m sure it’s something asinine that he could have handled over the phone. But what the fuck ever.” She pushed her gently to her feet and he swatted her ass playfully. She hissed at him.

_Go take a shower and get cleaned up_ , he told her. _We leave in 30_.

Kagome smiled softly. “I’ll be back,” she said to Sango, and dashed off down the hall to get ready, leaving Sango and Inuyasha alone to talk.

“What do you think your brother wants?”

“How the fuck should I know?” he exclaimed. “He’s an ass and I’m not gonna be bothered at this point to try and read his mind.”

Sango frowned. “Just be careful,” she said. “And protect her. She’s so deep into trying to sort things out at the Spiritualist Society, I’m really surprised—and grateful—that she didn’t automatically jump for the top spot. Help her to think about it, so she reaches a rational decision, okay?” 

Inuyasha growled. “I’ll be sure to do that, Murasaki,” he said.

“All right.” She stood up. “I have to go. I’ll see myself out. And I’ll see you tomorrow at work?”

“Keh.” Truth be told, the NPA wasn’t holding nearly as much interest for him as it had in the past. He felt...disconnected...from his work in a way that he never had before. Instead, he felt an overwhelming urge to stay close to Kagome now; he hated leaving her, even for a second, and he couldn’t help it. She’d almost died—he’d almost become his father—and he couldn't bear to let her out of his sight. And maybe someday? Maybe that feeling would pass. But right now...right now, only Kagome mattered, and only protecting her mattered.

“I’m ready,” she said, and he looked up at her as she came back into the yoshitsu. She was...breathtaking. She’d decided to forego her usual black pants and tank top look for a red dress; it was wool, Inuyasha thought, and the color of his youki when it was sated and purring, like it was right then and there. She’d pulled her hair back into a ponytail to keep it off her shoulders, which were nearly bare from the boatneck collar of the dress.

She...she was...

He scoffed to hide his desire for her. “Keh,” he said, “why you gotta dress so nice for Sesshomaru? What’s he ever done?”

Kagome crossed the room to stand directly in front of him. Her scent was deeply cloying, drawing him in. He circled his arms around her and buried his face in her hair, inhaling deeply. _You smell divine, Higurashi_ , he murmured.

Kagome pushed away slightly, then stood on tiptoe to lightly brush his lips with hers. “Later, Matsushita-san,” she whispered, and he whined. “If you’re a good puppy and can make it through a whole meeting without trying to kill your brother, or without instigating him into trying to kill you, I’ll let you take this dress off me later.”

“Higurashi.” _Fuck._ He _needed_ her. But they also needed to go meet his damn brother.

_Later, anata_ , she promised.

_Keh,_ he replied, _later is never soon enough when I’m with you._

* * *

Matsushita Technologies was quiet and empty on this Saturday night. Kagome now spent more time at the company than Inuyasha had spent in the past hundred years, and she would have much rather stayed at home and just snuggled with her soulmate in bed. But, she totally understood that they needed to come and see Sesshomaru and talk to him about whatever it was he wanted to talk to them about.

Inuyasha let them into the building; not even Ayame was sitting at the front desk. The ride up the elevator was silent; Inuyasha could feel Kagome’s nervousness radiating off her. He slipped an arm around her shoulders and held her close. 

“It’s fine,” he said gruffly. “Whatever he wants, we’ll talk, we’ll consider, and we’ll get out.”

She looked up at him; her gray eyes were exhausted. “Okay,” she breathed. 

“I know you don’t want to be here,” he said. “But Sess asked for us both.”

“Yes,” he said, “and I’m both sorry and not sorry about making you have to come with me.”

“It’s okay,” she said, “really.” She paused and tilted her head back. He pressed his lips to hers in a light kiss; she sighed against him, her sweet breath encompassing him fully. “Besides,” she added, “I really don’t want to be without you, either.”

_Higurashi_.

He felt her smile into his lips. _Later_.

The elevator doors pinged, and Inuyasha and Kagome left the elevator and entered Sesshomaru’s offices. The lights were low, and cast long shadows across the shining hardwood floors. Inuyasha’s heart clenched, as it always did, because he couldn’t help but miss his parents. 

_This floor always brings back memories, doesn’t it?_ Kagome asked softly. She snuggled into his side more closely. 

_I just…_ He couldn’t finish the sentence.

Kagome led him slowly down the hall. _I know_ , she replied simply.

Inuyasha paused at the door to Sesshomaru’s office. _Whatever he’s going to say…_

_It doesn’t matter._ She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. Inuyasha smiled, and lifted his hand to knock.

His raps on the door resounded throughout the quiet, empty hallway. They wait for a minute, then another, and at long last, the door opened. 

“Little brother.” Sesshomaru was tall and imposing in his navy blue suit and violet tie. “You’re late.”

“Keh,” said Inuyasha, pushing past his brother into Sesshomaru’s office. He stopped, and held out a hand to stop Kagome too. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Good to see you too, mutt,” said Kouga, smirking madly from his seat at the conference table. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms behind his head. “Kagome.” 

“Hey, Kouga,” she said softly, giving him a small smile. “And...Captain Totosai?”

“Higurashi-san,” Totosai grunted, “Matsushita.”

“What the fuck is this, Sesshomaru?” Inuyasha growled. “Why are they here?”

“Sit down, little brother,” Sesshomaru said, a hint of pleasantness in his voice? “Please.”

Kagome pushed Inuyasha into a seat at the table, then sat down beside him. She turned to Sesshomaru, and let out a little sigh. “What do you want, Sesshomaru-sama?” she asked tiredly, and Inuyasha wanted nothing more than to crush her to him, and surrounding with his youki, his reiki, and his love. “What can we do for you tonight?”

Sesshomaru slid regally into the empty seat between Kouga and Totosai. The three youkai looked at Inuyasha and Kagome; Inuyasha growled and crossed his arms, then let out a little snarl. Kagome sighed. _Behave_ , she told him. He huffed at her, then winked, and she rolled her eyes.

“As you may well know, miko,” Sesshomaru began, purposely ignoring his brother, “the Spiritualist Society is undergoing some massive ideological shifts.” Kagome snorted softly; Sesshomaru turned a hard golden eye on her, but she merely gazed back at him calmly. “This one understands that you have been asked to take over as the head of the Society, miko.” Now both of Sesshomaru’s eyes were on her. “Is this true?”

“It is,” Kagome replied clearly. Sesshomaru continued to gaze at her coolly, but Kouga let out a “What the _fuck_?” and stared at her, hard. Kagome narrowed her eyes at him. “I’ve been carefully weighing my options, Kouga,” Kagome continued. “On one hand, it gives me access, it lets me be the symbol of change that I think so many people would want to see. I would have the opportunity to really bring a paradigm shift to the culture of the Society, and for spiritualists in general.”

“But you haven’t _ever_ been interested in a political job, Kagome!” Kouga said, clearly aghast that she was even considering this option.

“I _know_ , Kouga,” Kagome shot back. “And I wouldn’t even be considering this here, if it hadn’t been for…”

She fell silent, and they all knew who Kagome was thinking of, and no one dared chance a response.

“As you consider your options, miko,” Sesshomaru said quietly, “there is one more option that this one would like for you to consider.”

Kagome looked at Sesshomaru, surprised, but Inuyasha was immediately scowling at his brother. “What...what kind of option?” Kagome asked slowly.

“One that this one believes you would do well to think about,” Sesshomaru replied.

“Then can you spit it out so we can get home?” Inuyasha grumbled. When his mate looked that miserable, that exhausted, having her in a room of youkai was the _last_ thing that he wanted. He wanted to take her home, to comfort her, to keep her away from prying eyes...

“Stop eyeing my mate, ya damn wolf,” Inuyasha growled. “She’s fine.”

Kagome hit him lightly on the arm. _Anata_ , she scolded, _you and Kouga are FRIENDS now_.

_Keh._ But he dragged her chair a little bit closer.

Kouga rolled his eyes, and looked at Totosai, who sighed and pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose. He opened a file that rested on the table in front of him; Inuyasha and Kagome could see photographs, files that looked like missing person reports. 

“Since Tsubasa Tsuabki’s death,” Totosai began, “The Spiritualist Society has been by turns very vocal and very reticent about their role in the sealing, stealing, and in some cases, the murder, of soulmated mikos. Kouga and Sesshomaru-sama have been very helpful in our work to ascertain exactly what has been happening over at the Society for the last few hundred years.”

“It helps when you’re older than basically everyone in the world,” Inuyasha muttered. Sesshomaru’s nostrils flared ever so slightly.

“And as a result,” continued Totosai, as though he had heard absolutely nothing, “we have managed to learn quite a bit about what the Society has been up to, but at the same time, this has only raised more questions.” He paused to look at Inuyasha and Kagome. “Questions that we want the two of you to answer.”

“Us?” Kagome said, surprised. Inuyasha snarled softly.

“ _You_ ,” Kouga insisted. “And I think what we’re about to tell you? It’s gonna blow your mind, Kagome.”

Kagome simply eyed Kouga; he grinned and turned to Sesshomaru and Totosai.

“The fate of soulmated mikos during the time of the Spiritualist Society has been well-documented,” Totosai said. “Mikos are soulmated, and then somehow they ‘mysteriously’ lose their powers, only to live out their lives as ordinary women.” He turned to Kagome. “Can you imagine what that would be like, Higurashi-san?”

“I—I can’t,” Kagome said. “But I would bet that they still have some of their latent tendencies. For instance, that they can detect reiki, but can’t manifest it?”

“Correct,” Sesshomaru said. “So far as we can tell, soulmated mikos have been able to recognize, but not create, reiki.” He paused. “Of course,” he continued carefully, “there have been some instances where the soulmate of a miko is a youkai. You and Inuyasha are not the first, miko,” he added, “to be a soulmated spiritualist and a youkai. You should know this.”

“Inuyasha’s parents,” Kagome murmured, a light warming her heart, even as a cold feeling drifted in the pit of her stomach. 

“Inuyasha’s parents,” Sesshomaru agreed. “But they lived...long ago.” He almost looked pained, for Sesshomaru. “Even more,” he continued, the look of distress gone from his face before one could even say for sure that it was there, “logic would suggest that you two are also not the only ones in the world right now. Surely there must be other youkai-spiritualist matings, that would produce a hanyou child with latent, spiritual advantages. But…” he looked at Totosai and Kouga.

“We don’t know where the fuck they are,” Kouga cut in. “We have leads, we have ideas, but that’s it.”

“It is the NPA’s opinion that the Spiritualist Society has been sealing away the reiki of soulmated mikos for hundreds of years,” Totosai added. “As of now, we have no idea how many youkai-spiritualist pairings exist. But for all the ones that do…”

“With the Society in control, they would have been in incredible danger,” Sesshomaru finished slowly. “Youkai-spiritualist pairings beget children with unprecedented amounts of power, and you know, Inuyasha, what Tsubasa tried to do to you.” He paused as Inuyasha growled and Kagome shivered. “Now imagine being a young hanyou child with latent spiritual power. People are after you; people want to experiment on you; people want to possess you. You are not your own person; you live your life in fear of who—of what—lies around every corner. Even if the youkai lords wanted to step in and protect hanyou with reiki, we wouldn’t know where to begin.”

“But now, with the Spiritualist Society in disarray,” Totosai added, “the NPA, with help from Sesshomaru-sama and Kouga, has managed to procure some documents that tell us where there may be hanyou with latent reiki in the world.”

“And without the Spiritualist Society overseeing everything,” Kouga grunted, “we have no idea what comes next. Are these hanyou still in danger? Will they fall under the radar once again? Or will they become increasingly desired, because of their unique abilities? Are they at risk for kidnapping? Could they be sold on the black market?” He paused. “So many questions,” he said. “We need to find them, and we need to protect them. Maybe bring them back here, so they can be under our protection. Or if they are in a country where youkai lords might be willing to offer that protection? Maybe we start there with some negotiating.”

“This is all fan-fucking-tastic,” Inuyasha snapped, “but what does it have to do with us?”

Sesshomaru, Totosai, and Kouga all exchanged a long look. “The answer to that is easy, little brother,” Sesshomaru said. “We want _you_ to search for, and procure the safety of, the world’s missing hanyou with reiki.”

Inuyasha and Kagome sat, frozen, for several long seconds. Kagome was trying to breathe normally, but _fuck_ , she was having a hard fucking time.

There were... _other_...hanyou with reiki in the world? 

And the youkai lords and the NPA wanted _them_ —Inuyasha and Kagome—to go after them? To make sure they were safe?

Kagome opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, Inuyasha began to laugh.

And it was a _loud_ , raucous laugh. He was so loud, he was practically barking. He held his sides; tears were running down his cheeks. Kouga snarled; Totosai frowned and rubbed his forehead between his thumb and forefinger; only Sesshomaru was nonplussed, but he was giving Inuyasha a slightly annoyed look.

“I—I—I can’t fucking _believe this_ ,” he gapsed between laughs. “I can’t fucking believe you are offering this. You want— _us_ —me, and Higurashi—to travel the world, looking for hanyou with reiki?” He burst into laughter again; if Kagome didn’t know any better, she would have imagined that he would start rolling around on the floor and kicking his legs. 

“ _Inuyasha_.” Sesshomaru’s voice was low, and terrible, and drew Kagome’s attention immediately. She nudged Inuyasha; he guffawed, but said nothing, his golden eyes fixated on his brother; his face shifting from a laugh to a scowl.

“This one is quite serious, little brother.” Sesshomaru’s voice was still deadly quiet. “All our intelligence suggests that hanyou with reiki exist, and that in the vacuum that is the change in leadership at the Spiritualist Society, we think that these hanyou are in danger, and have been, this whole time, but now perhaps we are in a position to help.”

“Here,” Totosai said suddenly, shooting the file folder over to Inuyasha and Kagome. Kagome opened it, then slid it between their places at the table. “Do you see that little girl?” he asked. “Her name is Yuugata Shiori. Her father is the bat youkai lord Tsukiyomaru, who you know. Tsukiyomaru is mated to a human woman; although he denies that she ever had spiritual abilities, we believe otherwise, and suspect that Tsukiyomaru may be lying to protect his soulmate and their daughter. Shiori’s whereabouts are currently unknown, and Tsukiyomaru isn’t talking.”

“But we think we found her,” Kouga said suddenly. ”Look at the first page of that file.”

Kagome leaned over and inspected the file closely. She saw the image of a little girl with silver hair and violet eyes; her skin was bronzed and luminous. “She doesn’t look anything like Tsukiyomaru,” Kagome commented.

“Don’t mean a thing with hanyou,” Inuyasha grunted.

“You and your brother both resemble your father greatly, Inuyasha,” Totosai said gently.

“Keh.” Inuyasha settled back in his chair, crossed his arms, and threw a defiant look at his brother, who refused to acknowledge that Inuyasha was glaring at him.

“Last known location…” Kagome read from the file. She looked at the location, blinked, and looked back up at Totosai, Sesshomaru, and Kouga. “This says...Bar Harbor, Maine?”

“Maine,” Totosai agreed.

“Like, the States?” Inuyasha grunted.

“So it would seem,” Totosai said thoughtfully.

Inuyasha growled. “So you want us to go to this...this _Bar Harbor_ place...find this Shiori girl, and then what? Bring her back? Convince her father to protect his kid, which is what he should be fucking doing?”

“First,” Totosai said, “you find the child. You and Higurashi-san can confirm if she does, in fact, have reiki and youki. If she does, well…” he rubbed his hands together and sighed. “We decide from there.”

“I’m in,” Kagome said suddenly. Inuyasha looked at her.

_Higurashi…_

_No, Inuyasha_. Her voice was firm. _We can do some good here. We can HELP_. _We can find other hanyou with reiki and protect them._ She paused. 

_I want to do this. I want to help. But…_ Kagome leaned over and took his hands in hers, both of them shivering at the sudden contact... _I want to do this with YOU._

Inuyasha saw the resolve in her steely eyes; he saw how her face was set and firm. He knew...she _wanted this_. Badly.

“What about the offer from the Spiritualist Society, Kagome?” asked Kouga gently.

Kagome paused. “It’s an interesting offer,” she said slowly, “and one that, until this moment, I thought that I could maybe accept. But this? Getting to travel the world with Inuyasha, getting to search for other hanyou with reiki? Getting to rescue them from potentially dangerous situations? To train them and teach them how to channel both their ki?” She smiled, and Inuyasha could see the glint, the heat, coming back into her eyes. “I think…” she said, “ _that’s_ the kind of change I want to be a part of. Not stuck in some stuffy office, or shaking hands with diplomats, or endless meetings. Because,” she added, turning to Inuyasha now, “I feel like we haven’t really had a chance to breathe, and not that this would give us a chance, but at least...we’d be together, and we’d get to do something really, really fucking awesome.”

Inuyasha grinned at her use of the word _fuck_ ; he was apparently rubbing off on her, and he kind of loved that.

“So what about the Spiritualist Society, Higurashi-san?” Totosai asked.

Kagome frowned. “I’ll call them in the morning and tell them thanks, but I reject their offer,” she said. “And actually…” She thought for a moment, tapping her chin. “I think I have someone to recommend.” She paused. “I think I’ll tell them that I recommend Nakaya Kikyo for the position. She has her reiki back; she’s powerful; and, she was researching soulmated mikos before Tsubaki-sama got to her. So, I think Kikyo-sama is an excellent fit for the job.” Kagome saw Kouga breathe out substantially, and she smiled slightly.

“This one is glad to hear that you still have your senses and will accept our offer,” Sesshomaru said. “And yes, Nakaya-sama will do well,” Sesshomaru agreed.

“You really think that Kikyo would do a good job?” Inuyasha asked, the concern clear in his voice. 

“Yes,” she said softly. “Maybe it’s time there was a soulmate miko at the top. One who’s not me,” she added with a chuckle. “I’m happy where I am. And Kikyo wouldn’t take any shit,” she added, “she would be looking for people who were anti-soulmated mikos, and have a thing or two to say to them.” She chuckled again. “I think she would be a good choice.”

“Okay, then,” Inuyasha said to her, “So what about the school?” 

“Miroku can take over full-time for now,” she said, “and I can help him hire a few extra people to teach while we’re gone.” 

“You would really want to leave teaching?” He’d thought that teaching meant more to her than _anything_.

She paused for a moment to think; he’d caught her off-guard. “For the Spiritualist Society? No, I don’t think I could have, really. But for this?” she added. “Yes. Yes, I would. This is _really, really_ , important.”

“And I would have to leave the NPA?” But really, he wasn’t super-opposed to that, so he wasn’t terribly upset.

“We’ll consider you on special assignment, Matsushita,” Totosai said. “So on leave from your current position, but we will make sure that you’re compensated for your work.”

_That_ got Inuyasha to stop growling and really start thinking about this possibility. They would...be traveling the world together. Just the two of them. They’d be tracking down hanyou with reiki...hanyou just like him. Twenty minutes ago, he and Kagome had been sure that he was the only one like him in existence. Now, though, they knew: this wasn’t true, and there were more hanyou out there like him. 

Hanyou who _maybe_ needed their help.

“Okay,” Inuyasha said at last. Sesshomaru looked at him, one eyebrow raised. “I said _o-fucking-kay_ , you bastard,” he growled. “What else do you want?”

“Your answer is acceptable,” Sesshomaru replied simply, “and appreciated.” He rose. “You will leave tomorrow for the States.”

“So soon?” Kagome asked, surprised.

“So soon,” Sesshomaru said.

“But what about…?”

“You can handle anything regarding your school on your travels, miko,” Sesshomaru said. “Your school will remain quite safe here within the confines of the Matsushita family; this one pledges it.”

“But I need to…”

“Kagome.” It was Inuyasha. She turned to him; his eyes were bright. “Are you...sure...you want to do this then?” he asks.

Kagome paused, and thought for a moment. Tomorrow was _awfully_ fast, but she supposed that, with the right phone calls, she and Miroku could get some help quickly. And this opportunity was too good to pass up.

“I’m sure,” she replied. She leaned forward and kissed Inuyasha lightly on the lips, the electricity sizzling between them. “Yes,” she whispered, “yes, I’m sure.”

Inuyasha nodded once, then, they turned back to Sesshomaru.

“If you are quite finished?” he asked. They stared at him, and he continued. “Then pack light. “You can buy what you need as you go. Matsushita Technologies is half yours, after all, little brother; you will use a discreet company jet, and you will have a bank account at your disposal. And that goes for you, too, miko,” he added, turning his gaze to Kagome. “This one will make sure both of you are provided for during your travels.”

“How long do you expect us to be gone?” Inuyasha asked. 

“That is up to you, and how fast you find the hanyou,” Sesshomaru replied. “There is no moratorium on this job; it lasts as long as you need it to. But _don’t take too long_.”

“We won’t, Sesshomaru-sama,” Kagome said quickly when Inuyasha started to rise. “We thank you—all of you—for this opportunity.”

“Keh,” was all Inuyasha would say.

“We expect you to complete your work in an efficient and effective manner,” Totosai said briskly. “If you do, you will continue to be compensated accordingly. Kouga will be taking your place at the NPA in your absence, and…”

“Wha-fucking- _what_?” Now _this_ was almost more than he could take.

“Moriyama-sama proved himself to be an effective ally during the Tsuji Onigumo investigation,” Totosai said simply. “You will be gone; we need someone in your place. Kouga is the best fit.”

“I think it’s splendid!” Kagome exclaimed before Inuyasha could open his mouth. “You’ll be fantastic, Kouga.”

Kouga didn’t respond, but he grinned at her, showing all his teeth. Inuyasha let out a soft snarl; Kagome poked him in the side.

“If we are quite finished,” Sesshomaru said, “Inuyasha. Miko. The car will arrive for you at 8am. Takeoff for Maine will be 11am sharp. You can make any phone calls you need to make from the car, miko. Do not make the car wait.”

“We won’t,” Kagome promised, gripping Inuyasha’s hand tightly so he would stay quiet. “We’ll be waiting outside at 8am for the car.” _Not now_ , she hissed. He dug his claws into her palm; she sent out a little bit of her reiki to zap him, and he grumbled, but reduced his hold on her hand. Kagome stood, and pulled Inuyasha to his feet. “Thank you for this opportunity, Sesshomaru-sama, Totosai, Kouga,” she said, bowing. Sesshomaru nodded once in reply; Totosai simply grunted.

Kouga rose and crossed the room to Inuyasha and Kagome. “You two be careful,” he said. “Keep in touch; let me know how you are once in awhile.”

Kagome’s eyes filled with tears. “Kouga,” she said, and let go of Inuyasha’s hand to throw her arms around Kouga. She hugged him, hard; they hadn’t been apart more than a few days in ten years, and even though she only loved him as a friend, she still loved him.

Inuyasha allowed Kagome to have this moment with Kouga, keeping his eye on them closely. Kagome leaned in closely, inhaling his scent for the last time in what would be a long time. Kouga held her tightly, pouring all his love, his friendship, his care, for her into his embrace. 

“Be good,” he whispered, “no trouble.”

She chuckled quietly. “Do you even know me?” she replied softly. “It’s gonna be all trouble.”

Kouga gently let her go and held her at arms’ length, looking deeply into her eyes. She smiled softly. “I mean it,” he said, “no trouble.”

“Oh,” Inuyasha said with a smirk, “She _is_ gonna be all the trouble.”

Kouga rolled his eyes. “You two deserve each other,” he said, then extended his hand to Inuyasha. “Be careful, mutt,” he said. 

Inuyasha gripped Kouga’s hand tightly. “You, too,” he said gruffly. They shook for another moment, then dropped their grip as though they’d been electrocuted. Inuyasha turned to his soulmate.

“Come on,” he said, “time to go.”

Kagome nodded. “Oh-okay,” she replied. She turned to Sesshomaru and Totosai again, and bowed again. “Thank you,” she said. “I promise not to disappoint you.”

“Just find them, Higurashi-san,” said Totosai, “find them, and protect them.”

“We will.” She turned to Kouga and gave him one last smile, then looked at Inuyasha. “I’m ready,” she said. 

“Great.” With one final wave, he pulled her out of the room and tugged her down the hall. 

_Do you have to be so rude, Inuyasha_ ? Kagome grumbled. _Honestly!_

Inuyasha dragged her to the elevator doors. He pressed the down button and stood there, practically bouncing in place, in his impatience.

_Are you not happy with this?_ she asked. _We don’t have to go_.

Inuyasha looked down at her, surprised.

“Oh,” he said aloud, “I definitely want to go. And you’re _definitely_ going with me.” He grinned. “This is gonna be one hell of an adventure, don’t you think?”

She smiled; the elevator doors pinged, and now she was the one who pulled him forward into the elevator. When the doors closed, she pulled him close, drawing him down so that their foreheads touched.

“It’s going to be one _hell_ of an adventure, Matsushita-san,” she whispered. She tilted her head slightly so that their lips lightly brushed against each other, and they both shivered. 

_I think_ , she said softly, _that we should consider our adventure beginning...as soon as we get home._

_Higurashi,_ he growled, and swept her up into a passionate kiss, one that didn’t break until the elevator reached the first floor and the doors opened, then closed, then opened again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we know that Inuyasha and Kagome are set to travel the world together...what could _possibly_ be left for them to do??? 😏😉
> 
> The last chapter will drop on Sunday, Februrary 28th. I look forward to seeing all of you then. As always, thanks everyone for reading, take care! 💖💖💖💖


	45. Coda

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha and Kagome celebrate their new assignment, and contemplate the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters from the manga and/or anime.
> 
> Hello everyone! I hope that wherever you are, you're safe and doing well.
> 
> This is it...the very last chapter of Spirited Soulmates. Just over 200k words, 45 chapters, and we are here, at the end. 
> 
> I want to take a moment and say, thank you. If you are here, and reading, and you've come all the way along on this journey with me, I appreciate it, more than you know. I have so enjoyed writing this Inuyasha, and this Kagome, and I will definitely miss them. 
> 
> Of course, we can't say goodbye to Inuyasha and Kagome without some spiciness! This chapter contains sexual content, so please do heed the tags.

Kagome was having a hard time keeping her hand out of Inuyasha’s pants. The whole way home, as he drove, she rested her head on his shoulder, one hand toying with the button and zipper of his jeans. Her fingers were quietly working the fastener, trying to force it back through the hole; when she got it open, she tugged the zipper down, and tucked her fingers inside his boxer briefs. She began to softly massage his cock, feeling it pulse under her tender touch; as she circled the circumference with her thumb and forefinger, he hissed, and pressed down a bit too hard on the gas.

“Fuck, Higurashi,” he grunted, “do you have to do that _now_?”

“You know,” she said silkily, “I am pretty hungry, but let’s do delivery. This way, we can get a proper dinner after the appetizer.” She gave his cock a squeeze, then turned her head slightly and bit his shoulder. He growled and nearly swerved the car. Kagome laughed loudly, but didn’t stop massaging him with the pads of her finger. 

_I love you_ , he said, his cock quivering with anticipation.

 _I know_ , she said sweetly, _and I love you too. And I can’t wait to put my mouth all over you tonight_.

Inuyasha had never driven home from anywhere so fast in his life.

The apartment was dark when they stumbled in, their hands fumbling, their lips pressing whatever bare patches of skin they could reach. Kagome tore Inuyasha’s jacket from his body and threw it aside; she didn’t care where it landed. She giggled and obediently lifted her arms; he grabbed her dress with both hands and yanked upwards; he then threw it aside and paused to take her in.

 _Higurashi_ , he said quietly, _What the FUCK are you wearing_?

Kagome giggled. _Do you like it?_

Inuyasha had to thrust her back to arm’s length so that he could take all of her in. _Fucking hell, Higurashi,_ he said, his voice choking even telepathically, _it’s fucking phenomenal_.

Kagome giggled again and looked down at her bra. It was black, and sheer, with just a hint of lace. The seams of the bra ran right above her nipples, giving him a full view of her dusky peaks through the sheerness. The bra had a series of hooks and eyes running down the front; Inuyasha growled appreciatively. Then his eyes wandered down to her panties, and his mouth fell open; he may have begun to drool. 

Her panties were also sheer, with a series of the same hook and eye fasteners running down the middle; the sides were simply strings holding the tiny front to an even tinier back. He may have audibly whined; if he had, he would never, _ever_ admit it.

 _Higurashi_. She was so fucking delectable, all of her: her sweet, intoxicating scent; the tendrils of hair escaping from her ponytail; the way that her eyes flashed, the color of a thunderstorm; the way her bra clung to her shoulders, the straps threatening to fall any second; the way her stomach curved, soft and gentle, like the woman that she was, down to her hips, which flared out in a way that he found incredibly sexy. Then, his eyes followed greedily to the juncture of her thighs, where he could just make out the soft hairs that hid the glories of her sex—the glories that he alone knew, and that he alone would ever know.

Once upon a time, Inuyasha would have cringed at being with a virgin. Now, he couldn’t imagine anything better. Kagome was his: completely, entirely; body, mind, _and_ soul. Just like he was hers. 

Once upon a time, Inuyasha never wanted to belong to anyone, or anywhere. But now, as he looked at Kagome, as he took in her entire body, as he watched her reiki shimmer in her need for him, he felt his youki and reiki loop together and flow around him, reaching out for her. Kagome moaned softly as her reiki swept forth to meet his, and they intertwined, a beautiful display of red, pink, and gold. As Inuyasha crossed to her, as he took her in his arms, as their lips touched, they both sighed, and their bodies thrilled to be close together again.

Kagome’s fingers were now attacking at the buttons of his shirt. She growled against his lips, and pulled each button through a buttonhole, slowly, seductively, her tongue caressing his fangs with each button that came undone. She pressed a hand against his chest, and felt his heat warm her, from the pads of her fingers where she touched him, all the way up her arm. She suddenly felt deliciously hot, and nearly drunk with her desire for him. 

_Higurashi_. His tongue was now toying with each of her teeth; she grunted and ripped his shirt up and out of his jeans. 

_Inuyasha. Still too many clothes_.

He chuckled. _How would you like to take care of that?_

She tugged on his jeans, reminding him that she’s already worked them open in the car. _You forgot to button your fly_ , she told him.

She felt him smirking against his lips. _That’s what you think_ , he told her. _It’s called easy access_.

Kagome ripped her mouth away from his, dropped to her knees, and tugged his pants and boxers down in one motion. His cock sprung free, and she immediately took him into her mouth, Inuyasha groaning loudly above her at being encompassed in her moist heat. Kagome gripped the shaft in one hand and ran her fingers softly over the underside of his cock, pressing into him, enjoying the way that he pulsed back in response. His hands dropped onto her shoulders, and he gripped them tightly, careful not to prick her skin.

 _I want to feel your claws on me, Inuyasha,_ she whispered, then took as much of him into her mouth as she could, and swirled her tongue around the tip. He howled, and pressed his claws into her flesh.

 _More, Inuyasha_. Tonight, she wanted to feel him. She wanted to feel all of him. 

Inuyasha nearly choked as his cock hit the back of her throat; she relaxed, letting him fill her up completely, the feel of him inside her going straight to the heat of her sex. Her body was singing at the way he moved in her; she _needed_ to get him buried in her. She _needed_ to surround him with more than her mouth.

 _Higurashi_ , he whispered. _I don’t want to cum in your mouth tonight_.

Kagome popped off his cock, and he groaned as the cold rushed around him. She tugged at his jeans and boxer briefs; he shook his hips to help her work them down his legs. He kicked them away—luckily he still had enough sense to make sure that he did _not_ tear his second-favorite pair of jeans—and then howled when she gave his cock one long, luscious lick, from the base all the way to the tip. Inuyasha yanked her to her feet, crushed his lips against hers, and hoisted her in the air, whirling around, looking for a place to set her down, to set himself down— _fuck_ , to do _something_ to relieve the throb in his cock that was threatening to explode.

 _Inuyasha_ , she murmured. _Chabudai_.

 _Fuck_. His soulmate was a fucking genius.

He carried her into the yoshitsu; Buyo was there, meowing for his dinner. “Not now, cat,” snapped Inuyasha, ignoring him and stumbling over to the chabudai. The cat meowed again, louder; “fuck,” Inuyasha growled. “N—Not fucking _now_.”

 _Feed the cat_ , Kagome said. _I need to lose my clothes anyway._

He set her on the chabudai. _Fine_ , he replied. _But keep the bra_.

She winked at him, and hooked her fingers in the sides of her panties, slowly tugging them down. He stared openly, his mouth hanging wide, his eyes nearly bugging out of his head. Her removal of her underwear was slow, steady, and incredibly sensual; she kept her eyes on him the entire time, and _holy fuck_ , he could not look away. She held her panties up with one hand, smiled coquettishly, then threw them right at Inuyasha. He caught them with one hand, held them to his face, and inhaled roughly. Kagome gasped, and clenched her thighs, and writhed on the low table frantically.

 _Now you know what you’re doing to me, Higurashi_. He grinned. “Come on, Buyo,” he called to the cat. “Let’s go eat.” Inuyasha winked at Kagome, then turned and went into the kitchen, leaving Kagome on the chabudai, a shaky, quaking mess.

She could hear him puttering around, getting out Buyo’s food, and she tried hard to be patient. She really did. But he kept sending his ki her way, and it kept surrounding her and caressing her in the most _delicious_ ways. Before she knew it, her fingers were pinching her nipples; then, her nails trailed down her stomach, towards the most delicate parts of her body. She tucked her fingers into her soft folds, where she quickly found her tender bundle of nerves, which she began to work frantically with one hand. Her other hand teased her opening, tracing the edges, never quite going in. She closed her eyes and threw her head back as far as she dared. She could feel her wetness—she could _feel_ how much her soulmate turned her on—and before she knew it, she was sliding her fingers in and out, whispering his name.

And then his lips were on hers; he was shoving her fingers out of the way and replacing them with his; he was tweaking her nipples roughly, thrusting his fingers into her, devouring her mouth. She couldn’t breathe; she couldn’t speak; she was completely swept up in the darkness of his desire for her. The waves started coming faster and faster, and before she could even gasp or cry out his name, she was cumming, and he was swirling his fingers inside her, as though he were trying to coat them in her juices as thoroughly as possible.

_I—Inu—Inuyasha._

_Hush._ She opened her eyes and was met by sparkling red, and gold, and pink, soaring around them, whistling around the yoshitsu in a series of shooting stars. He licked his fingers, then teased the seam of her lips, pushing them delicately inside, begging her to taste herself. She moaned softly, and he grinned.

 _Now you are ready, Higurashi_. He removed his fingers from her mouth, replaced them with his own lips and tongue, and as he explored her mouth once again, she felt him lifting her gently, squeezing her ass as he did so. She was in the air; she was turning; she was back down, her feet hitting the wood table on either side of his hips; and he was teasing her entrance with his cock.

 _I’m ready too_.

He thrust upwards as he lowered her down, and they both hissed loudly as their combined heat seared through their bodies. He was hot—so hot—and Kagome couldn’t help but shove her tongue deeper into his mouth with the sensation. He audibly growled; she adjusted her legs so she was kneeling above him, not caring that the hard wood of the table was grating on her skin. Slowly, carefully, she raised and lowered herself on him, her breasts pressed against his chest so she could feel his muscled torso through the sheerness of her bra. Her arms circled his shoulders; she reached up and tangled her hands in his hair.

How far they had come. How much they had seen. And now, as she moved on him, slowly, languidly, enjoying every time his cock pulsed inside her, enjoying every time her body squeezed him in response, they both could feel the love, the desire, the passion, the knowledge, that this was forever.

That _they_ were forever. No matter what happened; no matter _who_ or _what_ tried to come between them, they were Inuyasha and Kagome. Matsushita and Higurashi.

They were one; they were whole; two sides who found each other in a world where that kind of joining was rare and precious and revered.

 _Inuyasha_. Her voice between them was tender, and low, and as dreamy as her movements.

He snarled softly and grabbed her hips; she cried out against his mouth as his claws broke her skin, as her reiki and his ki flowed together, creating a barrier of love above and around them.

 _More_.

Her thrusts became deeper, harsher, more frantic, as he continued to tease her with his claws. He ran them delicately up her spine; he dragged them down over her muscles; he spanned her waist with his hands, his claws tickling her stomach, driving her into a higher frenzy as her body pulsed between pleasure and lust. She dragged her tongue along his fangs; he broke the kiss and latched onto her neck, fixing his mouth over her mark and biting down, hard.

Kagome screamed, and her entire body quaked and keened and locked up from the sudden intense shot of desire flooding her body. She was teetering on the edge, ready to fall…

But she wasn’t going to do it alone.

 _You’re a bad boy, Inuyasha_ , she warned him. _And bad puppies get punished_.

She felt his smirk against her shoulder, then he howled as she leaned forward and covered his own mark with her mouth, tonguing it and digging into it with her own blunt teeth.

 _Holy…fuck…you…  
_ _You dirty girl_.

His hands squeezed her ass; he pushed her down onto his cock; she pressed even more harshly onto his mark. The entire apartment became full with their combined ki; Buyo hissed and dashed away to the bedroom, where he could hide properly. Kagome drove her tongue into his mark; he bit down more firmly on hers; the infused of youki and reiki into their bodies almost more than they could bear. Kagome took him forcefully into her heat once, twice, three times, and the room exploded with their mutual orgasm, a sound wave of color rippling across the room. The shocks of pleasure radiated through their bodies, and they clung to each other, drawing comfort as they both quaked nearly uncontrollably.

Inuyasha and Kagome stayed that way for awhile, feeling their bodies, coated in the slick sweat of sex and the sweet aroma of their joined love. Inuyasha tucked her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her, still buried inside her, still rejoicing in her heat.

If they stayed like this for much longer, he was gonna be ready to go again.

“Inuyasha.” Her voice was audible, and low, and tired. He immediately rose, lifted her off his cock, and cradled her in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder.

“I—I just realized,” she said. “this is our last night in our apartment for awhile.”

Inuyasha scoffed gently. “Higurashi,” he whispered, “you’re just realizing this now?”

She sighed. “Yeah. And while I kind of don’t want to go to sleep, I’m also…”

“Tired.” Yeah, he could fucking tell. Wordlessly, he carried her to the bedroom, where the futon was already laid out. He placed her on it gently, hissed at the cat, who hissed right back and then stalked out of the room, and grabbed the blanket that Buyo had been hiding under. He covered Kagome with it, then went into his closet to grab a second one. He laid down beside her and pulled the second blanket up over them both.

“Tomorrow,” she whispered. “Tomorrow we’ll be leaving, and we’ll be seeing the world. I have so many phone calls to make…I have so many things to do.”

“Tch,” he said. “Let the bouzu handle it. My guess is that my asshole brother has already called him and filled him in on the whole situation. You call Murasaki in the morning, and get it all sorted out.”

_You always…have all the answers, don’t you?_

He kissed her hair and drew her in even closer to his body.

 _Fuck yeah, I do_ , he whispered with a fanged grin.

_Like how I knew that from the first moment I saw you, we were gonna be something._

He felt her smile against his chest.

_We definitely are._

* * *

Kagome had to admit: she’d been expecting something spectacular from a Matsushita Technologies private jet, but Sesshomaru had clearly outdone himself.

The interior of the plane was all white leather, with sparkling glass tables and paintings of inu youkai dotting the walls. Their attendants were bakaneko; one male, one female, both very polite and willing to do whatever Inuyasha and Kagome needed to feel comfortable.

Kagome had spent the morning on the phone with Miroku and Sango, making sure that Miroku had what he needed to keep the school running. She also created an ad that could be advertised on all the spiritualist job sites, and promised to join any interviews via video chat so that they could agree on who they would hire. She also begged Sango—who reluctantly agreed—to take Buyo for an indefinite period of time. The fact that girls would be completely and totally enamored of him was a strong point, and at last Sango had relented.

Through it all, Kagome couldn’t help but think of Kaede. How she, Kagome, had everything, and how Kaede had sacrificed so much to protect Kagome and Inuyasha—to protect the very thing that she had lost. _No one_ , Kagome thought sadly, _no one understands that pain of losing a soulmate like Kaede understood it._

To know your soulmate existed in the world, and had rejected you. To know that they had rejected you most likely because they wanted power, and control. To know that they weren’t sorry for rejecting you, that they ignored you, pretended you did not exist.

Kaede’s sacrifice made Inuyasha that much more precious to Kagome. Every day they were together—every hour, every minute—she remembered Kaede, and Inuyasha, and vowed to love him, and protect him: forever, and always.

And now, on the plane, they were seated next to each other, buckled into white leather seats, drinking champagne out of cut crystal flutes and watching the world soar by underneath them. Bar Harbor was a long plane ride, and Kagome planned to drink, sleep, and maybe have a little fun in between.

Inuyasha noticed she was exceptionally quiet and leaned over to nuzzle her hair. “What are you thinking about, Higurashi?”

Kagome tilted her face to ask for a kiss, which he eagerly gave her. “Just that we’re here, and we’re alone, and we’re together. And maybe feeling a little overwhelmed about the job we’ve been given?”

Inuyasha lightly traced her face with his claws. “You know that Sess and Totosai would not have asked us to do this if they didn’t think that we could, right?”

She sighed. “You’re right,” she said. “Of course you’re right. It’s just gonna be a big job. I hope I’m ready.”

Inuyasha grinned. _Oh, Higurashi,_ he said silkily, _I can’t imagine anyone more prepared than you._

Kagome closed her eyes and leaned in for a second kiss.

 _I kind of like being on a plane with you_ , she giggled. _Traveling the world, alone…  
_ _Think we could try to make the mile high club?_

Inuyasha started, then growled against her lips. _Woman. I think we try to make the mile high club like ten times._

Kagome parted her lips to let his tongue in, but as she did, Inuyasha’s phone pinged. He snarled and picked it up. “Sess,” he said bluntly. “More intel on Yuugata Shiori. Last known address of her mother, details on the mother’s last place of employment, etc.” He turned to her. “This is getting real, Higurashi.”

She nodded. “It really is,” she replied. “Are you ready?”

“Keh,” he said with a shrug, “Absofuckinglutely.” His eyes gleamed honey gold; he set his phone down, then turned back to Kagome and took her hands in his. “And I swear to all the fucking gods in all the fucking heavens: there is no one I would rather do this with than _you_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we have it! Inuyasha and Kagome are on their way to Maine to find Shiori. Will they find her? And if they do, how will they react? 
> 
> That's a story for another day. Thank you SO MUCH, everyone, for reading, and see you soon! 💖💖💖💖
> 
> If you enjoyed this story, and are looking for something in the same vein (action, soulmates, etc.), try one of these!  
> [To Summon a Mate](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4627810/1/To-Summon-a-Mate) by Pentheselia  
> [Guardian](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24364051/chapters/58757728) by Ruddcatha  
> [The Portal Between Worlds](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27276928/chapters/66641815) by Neutron Starchild  
> [Through the Night](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25347178/chapters/61458679) by SapphireStarxx  
> [Augmented](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27875265/chapters/68251825) by AnisaAnisa  
> [Until You're Mine](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23641909/chapters/56743531) by mangx3


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